


In The Craters On The Moon

by jdphobe



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: F/M, Gen, as such a trigger list will be provided in the first author's note, but they ARE happening and that's what matters., even if they aren't touched on too much early on, every character tagged is one i consider one of the main characters, just be patient, monsters loving monsters, seriously though maybe read the trigger list before you read this, similarly none of the ships tagged are happening until late game, sorry they're all straight assclass sucks :/, there are too many triggers in this to list in the tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 127,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27128497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jdphobe/pseuds/jdphobe
Summary: Aguri thought for sure she'd die when she jumped out to stop Reaper from his rampage... but when she wakes up maybe 12 hours later fully alive and in a pristine white room she's abruptly proven wrong. It turns out her abusive fiancé managed to save her life, and when she refuses to help him chase down the human experiment that got them in all of this trouble in the first place she becomes his next subject.What follows is a hellish process of mutation and trauma. But despite it all... Aguri escapes alive, and as she's returned to the real world she's been missing out on for the past five months she's going to have to process what she's missed, learn to care about herself again, and find out how a person obtains purpose when they didn't expect to live this long in the first place. But all of that's easier said than done when she's literally a monster now, and even worse... when she's felt like one her entire life.(Can recovery possibly come to someone who believes they deserved it? And what's 'monster' even mean in the first place?)---Antimatter Aguri AU. Because she deserved to live, but living isn't always so simple as being happy.
Relationships: Irina Jelavić/Karasuma Tadaomi, Kayano Kaede/Shiota Nagisa, Korosensei/Yukimura Aguri, Yukimura Aguri & Irina Jealvić, Yukimura Aguri & Kayano Kaede, Yukimura Aguri & Tadaomi Karasuma, Yukimura Aguri & The E Class
Comments: 55
Kudos: 109





	1. Prologue Time

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Here it is! My next long fic project! About time!
> 
> As a note this fic is... like, pretty fucked up, as the description might lead you to believe. And while it doesn't ALWAYS stay bleak (This is ultimately a story about recovery) I'd like to give a full list of warnings for things that occur in it. As such, here's a (Non-spoilery) trigger list for the events that occur throughout the entire fic. Don't feel obligated to look at it, but if you DO have a massive trigger, then it might be worth giving a glance.
> 
> https://jdphobe.tumblr.com/private/632547241279848448/tumblr_nVFaZijqYw2Qbibux
> 
> Additionally, all chapters will be tagged with individual trigger warnings, so don't live in fear of something coming up and springing on you. I'll let you know when we're approaching a specific topic.
> 
> I hope this goes without saying, but obviously I don't condone any of the fucked up shit that happens in this fic. I hated writing some of this stuff as much as you'll hate reading is, and I can promise you that the perpetrators of abuse in this fic will be..... punished aptly by the end of it. 
> 
> Additionally, please be aware that the first five chapters of this are the darkest and revolve solely around human kidnapping and experimentation. If you think this is too heavy for you then you can technically skip the first five chapters and read the rest of the fic without them. Take care of yourselves, ya'll. 
> 
> 9,000 warnings out of the way... let's get to the actual fic. As always, I hope you enjoy and have been looking forward to this hurt-hurt-hurt-HURT/comfort as much as I have.

Aguri’s half dead when he finds her.

To say Kotaro Yanagisawa’s life has gone to shit in a very short time is an understatement.

Aguri's life, however, is in even worse condition. It's hard to tell how much of the blood surrounding them is coming from her, and how much is his, but at the very least he’s  _ breathing,  _ which she can’t quite say.

He turns her over and feels for a wound. What he finds is sticky, wet, and distinctly tentacle shaped.

The test subject’s sick grin echoes in his mind.

**_That fucking maniac!_ **

Why hadn’t the dumb bitch just listened to him!?  _ He’d  _ known what they were dealing with... but she hadn’t cared. Now look at her! She's so pale... so limp. He can hardly stand to look at her! It's disgusting!

Shaking, he reaches out to search for the pulse he knows he won’t find. And as he feels his blood boil, something rolls over in the rubble.

He darts for it instinctively, breaths shallow as he clutches it tight in his palm.

_...A vial of Antimatter. _

The plan had been flawless. He’d thought each and every detail through in his perfect experiment… every detail short of their _insolence!_ _Just_ when things were going seamlessly, they’d had to sabotage it. There go his dreams! His pride! All because of a fucking psychopath and that insolent bitch.

_ (...There goes his woman.) _

He clenches his fist so tight it shakes. He’s growing lightheaded with bloodloss.

He’ll get him.  _ He’ll get him. _ If it’s the last thing he fucking does, he’ll wreak vengeance on that sick bastard for daring to defy him... for daring to  _ lay a finger on his perfect life...!  _ On his Aguri Yukimura!

...He wonders if she’d finally gotten it on her deathbed... if she’d finally understood just what she’d been dealing with. Had he grinned? Had he laughed? Had she realized she’d been taken for a fool!? And had she begged for the help he’d never have offered? Just how hard had she cried?

Her sickly-pale face offers no answers. He doesn’t know whether to feel vindicated or sick.

Sirens are blaring and the smell of burnt metal scorches his nose. ‘Help’ is on its way, but he knows full well they won’t offer a single smidgeon of usefulness in amending what he’s lost tonight. He begins to stumble to his feet.

...That’s when she twitches.

He collapses to the floor, reaching out to claw at her... to grasp onto something-- anything. He claps her wrist tight, so ravenous and desperate to hope for a miracle that his very body seems to scream _ ‘Give it back! Give it back!’ _

...And even as her pulse eludes him, he comes to process just what he’s clutching beside her arm.

His Antimatter.

The sirens draw closer and closer... shriller and shriller. His ears ring and his head pounds. Blood trickles down his cheek.

They’ll take her away. _The police. The doctors._ ** _Her needy family._** He’ll kick and scream and they’ll rip her away for good. 

They’ll blame him... the authorities, the coroner, the little sister. They’ll stare at him with those wide eyes, and try to skew the blame. But he knows the truth!  _ OH,  _ he knows the truth! It was all on that sick fuck! He’d felt the need to make one last low blow. Because destroying his dreams wasn’t enough... he’d had to take his love! His reputation! Frame him as a criminal! A  _ murderer! _

The sirens shriek. His head spins and his ears ring. What will they find!?  _ What will they find!? _

He hadn’t done it! _Give it back!_ **_Give it back!_**

He scrambles for a needle... something-- anything to stop it from leaving... stop  **_her_ ** from leaving. Panicked... disorganized... desperate, his heart thumps in his chest as he seizes the syringe. 

There’s shouting in the distance. Bright lights. He’s going to pass out.

_ Shit! Shit!  _ He’s running out of time!

He hurriedly empties the vial into the syringe and stabs the needle into the site of her wound. Flesh bubbles and pulsates, and he swears he hears a gasp for life.

That’s the only confirmation he needs. He half-laughs, half-chokes and heaves her over his shoulder. He scrambles to his feet and runs across the facility for dear life. Head pounding, and ready to keel over, but with a faint sputtering echoing from behind him.

_...Perhaps it’s not too late for his dignity after all. _

* * *

Aguri wakes up to bright white.

The first thing she notices is the white. 

The second thing she notices is her body ache.

The third thing she notices is that she’s dead.

Or, well, she’s supposed to be.

_ 'What… What had happened?' _

Alarms blare in her mind as she struggles to piece it together. The… the moon... the moon had exploded. The... Reaper was going to explode, too. But he left. He escaped. He was going to hurt people.

She smells blood.  _ Why does she smell blood? _

He… he  _ had _ hurt people. Screaming. Loud screaming. The collapse of the building. That’s the blood. But… she’d… she’d stopped him. She’d held him tight, and begged him to stay.

No, wait - The blood’s hers. R… right? A… a sharp pain in her gut. Something had pierced her. Hadn’t processed what, just that it hadn’t been the Reaper. She knows that for certain. S… something in the building.

She’d… she’d been choking on her own blood... couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see. Still can’t see... vision’s too blurry. 

...Something’s standing over her. Someone’s definitely standing over her. She’s on the ground. What happened?

She… she’d died. She knows that. She’d known she was going to die. Too much blood: sticky, vile. The Reaper had known, too... crawled towards her on his knees... ever so gently pulled her into his arms... begged and pleaded, ‘Please don’t die.’ ‘I didn’t mean to.’ ‘I’m sorry.’ ‘Tell me what I can do.’

The… the kids. She’d told him to take care of the kids. W- where are the kids!? Where’s the Reaper!? Where’s  _ she!?  _ She’s… she’s not alive, is she? This… this isn’t… this isn’t the hospital. Is… is this what death feels like?

No. No way. Her gut is screaming. Her veins are on fire. She’s going to throw up.

“You’re awake!” A familiar voice exclaims, and she can just barely make out a delirious grin.

_ Oh my god. It's-- _

“Kotaro?” She rasps. Her voice is louder than she’d anticipated... like she hadn’t expected anything to come out at all.

“Indeed.”

Her vision’s beginning to clear by now. But it makes no more sense. They’re… they’re in the Reaper’s room, at least she thinks so. 

_ T... The Reaper-! _

She bolts to her feet... feels a sharp tearing pain in her gut and shrieks. Yanagisawa quickly pushes her back down to her feet.

“Don’t stand,” he commands.

Aguri has to hold back tears. She sputters for air and claps at her stomach. She can’t see what happened... it’s covered. She's in patients' gowns. Why?

She shakily reaches for her shirt and pulls it up just slightly. What she sees makes her feel ill. She’s… she’s certainly been impaled, that much is true. The half-closed, half-healed wound throbs... and not just in pain, but with  _ life.  _ Viscera and muscle tissue barely attempting to hold together her ravaged flesh, and discolored, sickly skin raised around the site of the injury, it writhes... her skin and muscle bubbling and twitching, as if trying to tear away from her body.

She’s… she’s seen this before.

_ Her veins.  _ **_Why are her veins on fire!?_ **

Yanagisawa kneels down... firmly lowers her hand, and then her shirt. 

“Don’t do that, either. It’s still healing.” 

She stares at him.... stares through him. He’s disheveled, injured, grinning. S… something happened to him-- his eye, but she can’t focus on it. Can’t focus on him. She thinks she’s going to throw up. 

“W… what happened!?” She demands. _ “W- where is he?” _

Yanagisawa’s lip twitches. And all at once, his demeanor goes dark. He stares at her with a venomous, disillusioned gaze.

“What  _ happened?”  _ He repeats, voice low. “Are you telling me you don’t _ know?” _

“I… I…-” Aguri’s words catch in her throat. “...The moon! It blew up! And then Reaper! He-”

**_“Killed you!”_ ** Yanagisawa interrupts. Voice raised… fist trembling he repeats, “He  **_killed_ ** you.”

“He… he…-” Aguri wants to argue, but she just can’t find the words. Yanagisawa’s tone terrifies her... and besides, she can hardly even focus. Her head is swimming.

She reaches out to clutch at her temple.

“As for what happened  _ afterwards,”  _ Yanagisawa continues. “I saved you. I brought you back from the brink of death. And although I must apologize for what I had to do…” There’s a sudden sinister undertone to his words. “I have the feeling you’ll come to appreciate it in due time.”

Aguri’s head spins. And all at once her worst fears are confirmed.

“That stuff,” she says. _ “You put it in me-” _

_ “I  _ **_saved_ ** _ you!”  _ Yanagisawa snaps.  _ “You should be thankful!” _

No. No. _Nononono._ Aguri’s thoughts race as she thinks about Reaper keeled over on the lab floor. She tries to scoot backwards but only finds wall. And as her veins burn and her head pounds, her stomach pulses... _pulses..._ **_pulses._**

“I… I can’t… oh god.  **_Oh god-”_ **

Yanagisawa’s gaze looks almost sympathetic for a moment, but soon hardens.

“Stop whining,” he says. “You’re alive. You should be thankful for that much. And as for your killer…” his teeth grit. “Well,  _ we’ll take care of that.  _ **_I promise you, Yukimura. We’ll take care of that.”_ **

His whole body trembles as he speaks. All the same… he just doesn’t strike her as afraid. Maybe it’s the shock speaking… but he looks  _ manic,  _ almost: knuckles a pale white and jaw tightly clenched. He reaches out to cup her by the cheek.

Aguri pulls back, almost on instinct. And trembling, too, she whispers “No. Nononono.  _ Just listen to me, Kotaro. _ **_This is all a big misunderstanding. He didn’t do any of that-”_ **

Yanagisawa pauses, but doesn’t speak. Instead, staring at her with one big wide eye, he lets his hand hover in midair. 

...A moment of silence.

“He… he didn’t mean to!” Aguri chokes. “He didn’t mean to hurt me. I mean he didn’t, even!  _ He tried to protect me!  _ It was something in the building that did this! Not him!  _ Not him!”  _ Her breath hitches. “One of the tentacle mines or something. I don’t know. It was all so fast. But he didn’t try to hurt me… I swear!  _ This was-  _ **_this was my fault, really!_ ** _ He was worried for me!” _

She’s desperate. She’s not sure what it is but something about Yanagisawa’s words petrify her. She  _ can’t  _ let him think about Reaper that way. It wasn’t his fault! It  **_wasn’t! Please! Don’t hurt him!_ **

She sends him a pleading look, but Yanagisawa’s expression only seems to twist. Staring down at her he says “Oh. And so he  **_didn’t_ ** kill you,” disgusted, almost. “Forgive me for assuming considering he killed  **_EVERYONE IN THE LAB!”_ **

His last words are a scream… said so loudly the lab walls seem to shake. Aguri’s hands drift to cover her gut.

“No,” she says. “He wouldn’t…- he couldn’t h- no.  _ Nonononono.  _ Tell me it’s not true.”

Yanagisawa’s words are said so genuinely. But she still can’t believe it. She won’t! He wouldn’t! He **_wouldn’t!_ **

“Oh, but he  _ did,”  _ Yanagisawa says. “You saw it yourself! Don’t tell me you didn’t hear the screams!”

**_No. Nononononono. NO!_ **

“T… Tanaka. Nakagawa. Fujiwawa. Someone…  _ someone  _ has to be okay. You can’t mean that everyone…  _ everyone’s-” _

She can’t even say it. She refuses to. She won’t believe it! That they’re…-

**_“Dead._ ** _ Everyone is  _ **_dead,”_ ** Yanagisawa says. “Seventy-five percent of the lab is  _ dead  _ and the other twenty-five is in critical condition! Look around you! Look at the state of the place! Don’t tell me you’re in  _ denial!" _

And slowly… Aguri’s gaze drifts. Debris everywhere… the strong scent of drywall. The place looks like a crime scene... and it  _ is.  _ Her breath starts to hitch… and a tear spills down her cheek.

_ No. No.  _ **_No!_ ** Anything but this!

“We are the _only two survivors,”_ Yanagisawa says. **_“And look what’s become of us!”_** He points accusatorily towards her… then back towards himself. It’s only then that she processes the bandages wrapped tight ‘round his face and hears a horrific shriek in her mind. His eye. It’s… _it’s…-_

...Gone.

Even so, he somehow manages to look at her with such hatred.

“Of _course_ you think he didn’t kill you. But he _did._ He **_did._** He killed you and he _reveled in it!_ Have you forgotten that he’s a master manipulator!? You’ve fallen prey to his charms, Yukimura! But I’m smarter than that... _ohhhhh_ yes I am!” He’s started to pace. “And **_I_** know what he did to you. **_I_** know what his intent was.”

“N… no-” Aguri whispers, almost too quiet to hear. She doesn’t believe a word of _that..._ about manipulation, but she can recall the bloodshed… oh _god_ the bloodshed. All at once, it comes back to her. She’d… she’d seen some of it from the observation room… the horrible things The Reaper had done... guts strewn across the floor and a maniacal cackling. He’d seemed so gleeful. But The Reaper who’d looked at her as she died... he didn’t… _he_ didn’t look like that.

A mistake… that’s all. One he can’t take back... one he’ll never fix, but he’s not like that... not  _ really.  _ And as she starts to weep her whole body quakes… heart aching intensely for both her coworkers and for her friend. 

‘Where is he right now?’ She wonders, desperate. ‘ _ What is he  _ **_feeling?’_ **

_ “I’ll  _ avenge us, though,” Yanagisawa says, ignoring her tears.  _ “I’ll  _ help us get revenge. Restore my legacy! Your  _ dignity!  _ Mark my words… I won’t rest until I do. But you  _ have  _ to listen to me. Leave this  _ dream world  _ of yours behind.  **_It’s time to kill the beast.”_ **

__ “W-what!?” Aguri sputters. “No!”

_ “Listen to yourself!”  _ Yanagisawa growls. “Why won’t you wrap your brain around it already? He doesn’t give a shit about you.  **_You’re a tool to him!_ ** But you can become so much more than that…  _ yes.  _ You can become  _ so much more.” _

He stops… turns back to face her… and stares her down with that singular pale eye. There’s a surprisingly predatory look to his gaze:  _ hungry, almost.  _ And ambitious in the most frightening way.

“You already have Antimatter flowering through your veins. If I can continue to experiment on you then  _ surely  _ I can create something even stronger than my first beast... s _ omething strong enough to put him in his place!” _

Aguri’s whole body goes rigid.

“You don’t mean… you don’t mean-”

“You could become akin to a god! All you have to do is believe in me! Don’t tell me you don’t see it! The potential!  **_We can be the ones to put him down!_ ** ”

There’s a raggedness to his tone… an intense sort of conviction. But all the same, it just frightens Aguri.  _ No!  _ **_No!_ ** She won’t take part in any such thing! She  _ knows  _ Reaper didn’t mean to hurt her, and she won’t hurt him! Besides…

Her stomach churns at the very thought of suffering like he’d suffered.

Putting on her very best brave face she says “No. Absolutely not. I…-  _ you know I can’t participate in that kind of thing, Kotaro.  _ Thank you for saving me, but you need to let me out of here right now. I  _ need  _ to talk to him. I  _ need  _ to find out why this happened--”

Yanagisawa’s quiet for a long moment. Then his eye narrows… and as his shoulder starts to twitch he says. “The answer’s no.  **_Of course_ ** the answer’s no.”

“This isn’t right, Yanagisawa,” Aguri repeats, looking him in the eye. “It’s not safe, it’s not moral, it’s not  _ anything!  _ I love you, I really do. But I can’t just-”

**_“No. You don’t.”_ ** Yanagisawa’s interjects, voice dripping with venom. It's hot embers and ice cold all at once. “You don’t love me. You love the  _ monster,  _ and you always have... the monster you should give  _ no  _ shits about... the monster who’s  _ never  _ loved you back... and the monster who  **_you_ ** let escape. This is all your fault, really...”

His anger is building. He walks her way, footsteps heavy and fist clenched. 

_ “You  _ told him what was happening.  _ You  _ told him we were going to kill him. And  _ why?  _ Because you treasured a single serial killer over the entire human race?  **_Now he’s out there! And he’s getting stronger!_ ** _ You’re  _ the one who led him to kill your coworkers.  _ You’re  _ the one who led him to kill you! And  _ you’re  _ the one who led him to take my eye.  **_For what!?”_ **

“Because you’re soft? Because you’re lonely? Because you’re idiotic? Or perhaps because of all of the above? I have done  _ everything  _ for you... I have fought  _ so  _ hard to get you where you are... and you destroyed  _ all of my dreams  _ just because you’re a  **_stupid, cheating whore._ ** I can’t believe it!  _ I’m being generous to you, really.” _

**_“I saved your life! I offered to let you help me! But you’re too above even that, aren’t you!?_ ** _ Even  _ **_THIS_ ** _ is too difficult for you. Why?  _ **_Why?”_ **

His expression twists. And he seems to loom over her. Aguri tries to stumble to her feet but her whole body screams. And as she backs against the wall she whispers:

“I am  _ not  _ going to hurt anyone, Kotaro. It’s that simple.  _ I’m sorry.” _

**_“No._ ** You’re _ not,” _ Yanagisawa growls. “You have  _ never  _ been sorry for a single thing you’ve done to me! I  _ heard  _ you confess to The Reaper, woman. You have  _ never  _ loved me. You have  _ never  _ given a shit about how I felt. Was I not  _ good enough  _ for you? Was  _ that  _ it?”

_ “No!”  _ Aguri replies, voice hoarse. “That’s not it!” It’s hard to think through the pain, but she needs to explain herself… she has to! “It’s just… it’s just…  _ he was so nice to me, you know?” _

**_“AND I WASN’T!?”_ **

And Yanagisawa swipes her up by her collar. Aguri lets out a shriek as she’s hoisted to her feet. Tearing up, she shakes her head rapidly.

“No-! No! It’s not-  _ of course not!  _ It’s just… it was arranged, and-” she sputters for breath. “You never seemed happy with me. It was only natural for me to-”

_ “I’VE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING! I’M SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU EVER DESERVED! AND YOU REPAY ME WITH  _ **_THIS!? THIS_ ** _ IS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR FIANCE!?” _

“I’m sorry!” Aguri cries.  _ “I’m sorry! _ Just let go of me, please!  _ It hurts!” _

She doesn’t even know how to describe it. It’s like nothing she’s ever felt before. Veins alight and stomach pulsing, her whole body feels on fire. As he pulls her in closer she’s not sure whether to cry or throw up. ****

**_“You think you’re hurting!?”_ ** Yanagisawa snarls.  **_“What about me!? What about how you’re making ME feel!? HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT!?”_ **

_ “I’m sorry!” Aguri repeats. “Please! Pleasepleaseplease! Just put me down!  _ **_I’m begging you!”_ **

Her voice is a shriek, but he doesn’t listen to her... not until he knocks her back against the wall and she lets out an ear-splitting scream. Covering her head with her hands she quivers and sobs. 

Slowly… he lets go of her collar and lets her slide down to the ground. She lets out a whimper as she hits the lab floor.

He watches her, silent as she sobs. Then, finally, lip curled, he whispers, voice trembling:

“And so this is it? You’re  _ done?” _

It’s a surprisingly detached question. All the same, Aguri can’t help but detect the threat behind it. He’s staring at her, expressionless, but with a fire behind his eyes.

She’s scared, almost, to answer. Her whole body’s throbbing and the last thing she needs right now is to make him even more angry. But every alarm bell in her head is going off and she knows if she stays here a second longer she’ll be in  _ grave danger. _ His predatory gaze says too much… and something  _ vile  _ flows through her veins. Her every instinct begging her to run she knows one thing and one thing only:

She needs to get out of here.  **_Now._ **

Slowly… she stumbles to her feet. She leans against the wall for support, letting out raggedy, short breaths as her knees start to shake. And then… nodding quietly, she looks across the room to meet his gaze.

“It has to be,” she says softly. “We…” her head starts to spin. “...I think we want different things.”

She takes one step towards the doorway-- just about throws up as she does. Her vision’s starting to blur, but she can’t give up. Not yet.

“Thank you for saving me. I mean that, genuinely. I think… you’re a good person. And I think… you can be happy one day. But not with me. You… you need help, Kotaro. And I can’t…-  _ it’s not something I can offer.  _ People like us… we weren’t ever meant for each other. I mean… you never even  _ liked me.  _ We couldn’t-- we shouldn’t have…- _ ” _

It’s hard to breathe. It’s hard to even think. But he’s staring at her so intensely. She knows she needs to say something.  _ Now. _

“...This wasn’t fun for either of us. And I know… you didn’t really want it, either. You can… you can find people who are better for you. But I need to go now. I need to end this. I… I feel really scared right now, and…-” her voice catches in her throat. “...I don’t want any part in this.  _ Please.” _

For a second she thinks maybe he’ll listen to her. He stares… quietly, as she stumbles towards the door. But as she reaches out to grab the handle she hears an icy whisper...

_ “NO.  _ **_YOU DON’T GET YOUR HAPPY ENDING.”_ **

...And all at once her veins go cold.

She’s hardly given time to react. Abruptly he reaches out for her and grabs her by the hair. He pulls her in with a merciless scream and throttles her back and forth. Voice a roar... spittle flying, he jerks her head to the side and proclaims, outraged, that she’s unearned that right.

_ “I  _ **_SAVED YOU!”_ ** He snarls.  **_“I’M THE ONLY REASON YOU’RE HERE RIGHT NOW!_ ** _ YOU GOT YOURSELF  _ **_KILLED_ ** _ AND I BROUGHT YOU BACK! DO I NOT EVEN GET SO MUCH AS A THANKS!? YOU SHOULD OWE ME! I SHOULD  _ **_OWN_ ** _ YOU!” _

It’s hard to even process his words. Letting out incoherent screams of her own Aguri desperately tries to tear away and earn some relief from the pain. But it’s no use. His grip is simply too tight, and the harder he shakes her the more excruciating her body feels. 

**_“DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU, YOU STUPID BITCH!? I THOUGHT HE’D KILLED YOU! AND HE COULD HAVE KILLED ME, TOO! BUT I SAVED YOU, ANYWAYS! DO YOU KNOW WHY I DID THAT!? BECAUSE I CARED ABOUT YOU! BUT THAT’S NEVER MEANT ANYTHING TO YOU, HAS IT!?”_ **

**_“Oh god!”_ ** Aguri howls. _ “OH GOD.  _ **_OH GOD._ ** _ IT HURTS. LET GO!  _ **_PLEASE!”_ **

“NO!” Yanagisawa shrieks. “What don’t you get about  **_NO!? YOU DON’T GET TO LEAVE HERE!”_ **

Ignoring her pleas he jerks Aguri to the side once more. Her desperation only seeming to make him more violent, he starts to drag her to the center of the room.

_ “I  _ **_KNEW_ ** _ IT WOULD COME TO THIS,”  _ he rambles.  _ “I  _ **_KNEW_ ** _ YOU’D DO THIS BUT I GAVE YOU A CHANCE ANYWAY. AND SINCE YOU WON’T TAKE IT THEN WE CAN DO THINGS THE HARD WAY. YOU DON’T WANNA LOVE ME? YOU DON’T WANNA COOPERATE WITH ME?  _ **_TOO BAD!_ ** _ AND JUST REMEMBER THAT IT’S  _ **_YOU_ ** _ WHO MADE THINGS COME TO THIS! WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS AS A TEAM!  _ **_BUT IT’S TOO LATE NOW!”_ **

_ “YOU WANNA LOVE THE MONSTER?”  _ He asks, slamming her down on the operating table. **“THEN YOU CAN LIVE LIKE HIM!”**

At once Aguri realizes what’s happening. She tries to fight back… kicking her legs wildly, but it’s no use. She’s simply too weak. He overpowers her. And as he straps her arms… her legs to the table, she screams.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS!” She begs. **_“YOU CAN’T!”_ **

**_“And why not!?”_ ** Yanagisawa asks.  **_“You’re the reason my last experiment escaped!_ ** _ I think I’m owed a replacement!” _

“They’ll… they’ll come looking for me!” Aguri cries. “My sister! The Reaper! You’ll get caught! They-!”

**_“THINK YOU’RE DEAD!”_ ** Yanagisawa interrupts. “They think you’re  **_DEAD!_ ** No-one is going to come _ looking for you!  _ I’m the only person who knows you’re  **_alive!_ ** You’re as good as disposable, Yukimura!”

“No. No.  _ Nononono-  _ **_please!_ ** _ ”  _

Aguri’s gasping for breath. But Yanagiawa’s already reaching for a vial of Antimatter. And as he empties it into a syringe she sobs.

She tries- desperately- to make an escape… do something,  **_anything!_ ** But as hard as she flails it’s no use, and as her vision goes bright white as she struggles against her restraints.

“I’ll do anything!  _ Please!”  _ She begs as he dawns on her.  _ “Anything but this!  _ I can give it another try! I can say sorry! I can be a good wife!  _ Please!  _ Just don’t do this to me!” 

She doesn’t want to. She doesn’t want to more than  _ anything.  _ But she feels the fire run through her veins and wants to projectile vomit. She can’t! She  _ can’t  _ take it again!  **_Please!_ **

“You sure changed your tune quick,” Yanagisawa retorts, his face a sneer. “But I’m afraid  _ no can do.  _ I already gave you your out. And  _ this  _ is what you settled on. You’d best get used to it, Yukimura. Because I am  **_never_ ** letting you go.”

She doesn’t even get the chance to whisper his name before the needle is inserted into her vein. And then… kicking… screaming… her body reignites. She lets out a horrific shriek and starts to writhe… body contorting in unnatural ways as she twists to fight her restraints. And all at once she realizes what she’d felt up until now was  _ nothing…  _ a simple  _ preview  _ of the overwhelming pain. The faint burning… even the sensation of him picking her up by her collar as her stomach screamed… it  _ pales  _ in comparison to this.

She’s in hell.  **_This is hell!_ **

She lets out an incoherent howl… tears spilling down her cheeks. She barely even processes it as he removes the needle from her arm, simply wails and attempts to reach out a hand... but it’s no use. And as she struggles for raggedy breaths in between the involuntary shrieking he  _ smiles _ at her. A demonic smile… one that seems to revel in her pain.

“Goodbye, Yukimura.” She thinks she hears him say. “I’ll be seeing you again soon. But for now… I think I’ll leave you to your devices.”

**_“YANAGISAWA!”_ ** She tries to cry, vision blurring and throat burning.  **_“KOTARO!”_ ** But it’s no use. Yanagisawa steps out of the doorway… and giving her one last long look over his shoulder… he scoffs, before slamming the door behind him and leaving her in the lab alone.

Aguri doesn’t stop screaming, even long after he’s gone.


	2. Dawning Horror Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for mostly the same stuff as last time: abuse, medical horror, needles, and emotional manipulation. Additionally there's a hand horror and a mention of IVs specifically if that distinction matters to anyone.
> 
> As always, stay safe, and I hope you enjoy!

Aguri wishes she could say she thought it all was a bad dream.

For a moment, perhaps, some part of does. She can almost reach out and grasp it: pretend she’d imagined it... that she doesn’t have Yanagisawa to worry about and that things are back to normal… that she’s going to see The Reaper again and that after that she’s looking forward to spending time with her sister. But try as she might there’s this nagging feeling in the back of her mind… a persistent pain… and as she awakes with a gasp she’s not afforded even a second to believe she’d made this up.

No, She’s instantly overwhelmed with pain.

She’s not sure how long she’s been unconscious for. She doesn’t even remember falling unconscious at all. But the minute her eyes flutter open she wishes, already, that she could return to that state. For a sudden wave of nausea overtakes her… and as her limbs start to twitch she’s reminded, again, of what situation she’s in: that there’s no chance of this being a dream... and that she’s not only alive, but…

...In a situation where she very well may soon wish she weren’t.

‘No,’ she thinks, trying to steady her breaths. ‘Don’t think like that.’ It may hurt to inhale, but that’s no excuse to… _to…-_

_ ‘Give up?’ _

Her lip wavers. She shakes her head. ‘You’re… fine,’ she tries to reassure herself. ‘You’re… fine. He’s just having an episode, that’s all.’ Sure… Yanagisawa has never done anything like _this_ before, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s taken his anger out on her. He’ll calm down in no time. And _he’ll…-_

Well-- he won’t apologize. He never has. But he’ll let her out of here. And then she’ll…  _ she’ll…  _

She’ll find a way to be fine.

She flinches, abruptly, as a wave of pain washes over her. It’s a sharp, blistering sensation… seeming to flow from her stomach and radiate out towards the rest of her body. She lets out an involuntary cry as it does, but manages to grit her teeth and hold back the tears. The pain is decidedly less than before, she notes, even if that in and of itself is still overwhelming. She needs to focus on the good things right now. She needs to focus on the good things right now. She…-

...Her stomach’s started to twitch.

It’s a disgusting sensation... the sort that makes her sick. Not only is it a reminder that she’d been  _ impaled;  _ made a stupid decision that’d nearly gotten her killed, but it’s a reminder of why she’s still here breathing at all. She’d only gotten a brief look at her wound earlier… but it had been  _ bad.  _ Torn muscles and discolored sinew. Oh, she hadn’t just  _ nearly  _ died... who is she kidding? She  _ had  _ died.

And Antimatter had saved her.

Aguri shuts her eyes... grits her teeth and blinks back tears. She hates herself for feeling so ashamed and scared.

_ ‘You  _ got yourself into this situation, didn’t you?’ she thinks. ‘What right do you have to feel this way? You’re the one who didn’t leave sooner. And  _ you’re  _ the one who jumped into the line of fire. What did you  _ think  _ would happen?’

...Death. She thought  _ death  _ would happen. And it’s not that - she didn’t want to -  _ she didn’t crave it!  _ But she thought it’d be  _ peaceful,  _ at least. Not like this.  **_Nothing like this._ **

As her stomach twitches and the fire continues to flow through her veins her mind wanders back to The Reaper. He’d looked so  _ calm  _ on the other side of the glass. She wonders if he’d felt this way, too... so scared and sad. Head pounding, throat raw... so close to vomiting. The thought makes her ache.

She wonders how he’s doing right now... if he misses her. Is he preparing to go teach her students, or-?

(Yanagisawa’s words hang in her mind. ‘He doesn’t care about you.’ And despite herself, they make her pause.)

Of… of course he’s preparing to go teach her students. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s her friend, after all, isn’t he? He’ll… stay true to his word.

...He has to.

She wonders if Yanagisawa still wants to hurt him. The answer is almost certainly yes, but she doesn’t want to think about it. After all… she still needs to reason with him. What if she asks him to let her go and the only way he’ll agree is if she joins him on his revenge quest? She can’t possibly agree to that. But what other choice does she  _ have?  _ She can’t just  _ stay  _ here.

(...Can she?)

Maybe she’ll have to lie. She’d feel bad about doing it, but… she has a little sister to get home to. She has things she’s afraid of. She can’t just grit and bear  _ this _ \- not even out of the kindness of her heart.

...She wonders how her sister is doing right now. Akari. She hopes she’s not crying too much. In hindsight, she wishes she’d asked Reaper to keep an eye on her too... but it had just been so hard to think at the time. And despite herself, Akari had been the  _ last  _ thing on her mind. Aguri wonders, absentmindedly, if that makes her a bad sister… but soon shakes her head and sighs.

It doesn’t matter. Akari would be fine without her either way. She’s a strong, independent young woman, and much more successful than her screwup of an older sister. She’s sure she’ll be alright. And, besides…

She’ll see her again soon.

She has to. When she gets out of here it’ll be the first thing she does. She’ll apologize for her thickheadness and tell Akari she’s sorry. Then give her sister a big hug and promise nothing like this will happen ever again. That’s all.

She lets out a shaky breath… suppress a whimper. That’s right… she won’t spiral. She won’t get into the same self-deprecating mindset she always does. She’s going to stay optimistic. And she’s going to get out of here. All she has to do is wait.

...That, and say she’ll kill her best friend.

‘It’s okay,’ she thinks. ‘He won’t hold it against you. And besides… it’s not like you’re actually going to do it. You just need to get out of here so you can see him again at all. You can apologize to him, too, when you do.’

She knows she’s overthinking it, but what else can she do? She’s left alone here with her thoughts... and no matter how much she hates it it’s only natural. She’s a lonely person. When she doesn’t have someone to talk to her mind tends to wander. It’s why she hates being alone in the first place. But she doesn’t have much of a choice. Not right now, at least. It’s either let her mind wander or focus on the pain.

A jolt of electricity runs down her spine and all at once she’s sure. Yes: she much prefers the thoughts.

She tries to think of a plan… what exactly she’ll say to Yanagisawa when she sees him again. Should she apologize? She’s usually pretty quick to beat herself up but she still can’t see what she did there as wrong. What if she doesn’t come across as genuine? Maybe she should say that she’ll just try anyways. ‘I’m scared, but I’d like to help out.’ That… or maybe she should try to seem more brutal. ‘I’m mad about what he did to me, too. I’ll avenge my coworkers, I swear.’

_ Gahhhhhh. _ She’s hardly sure  _ that  _ will sound authentic. She’s not exactly a vengeful person. She hates having to lie about this at all. She hates this entire situation!

She wishes it came easier to her. Like Reaper.

Now  _ he  _ was good at hiding his feelings. That wasn’t always a good thing... she thinks it held him back in a lot of ways. But right now it sure would come in handy.

She lets out a sigh. Her throat feels sore… like she’d been screaming long after she passed out, but she tries to shut her eyes and relax… ignore the boiling pain and focus on his face. She can be strong, like Reaper. And she’ll see him again, soon.

(She shoves the pictures of his victims from her mind. No. That’s not what strong is, she swears. 

That’s not…-)

Yanagisawa said he’d make her strong, too.

Those were his words, weren’t they? Something like ‘I’ll make something even more powerful than my first creation.’ She wonders what that means. She hates to admit it, but that seems to indicate she’ll be in here a very long time even if she  _ does  _ agree. The thought makes her sick. No… she needs to get out of here as soon as possible. Go for a ‘field test’ and run. Run as fast as she can. 

Yes. She’ll convince him, and then she’ll… run.

She wonders what will happen to her body after that. She watched what happened to Reaper, but there’s not  _ nearly  _ that amount of Antimatter in her bloodstream yet, is there? She won’t be at a risk of exploding. At least… she shouldn’t be. And she  _ probably  _ won’t mutate.

(Unconsciously, her fingers twitch.)

...Not yet.

She knows how dangerous this entire situation is. She’s not exactly the most intelligent person, but she worked at the lab. She’s a chemist. Hell... she’s the one who studied Reaper the most! So it’s not like she’s going into this entirely blind. She knows what situation she’s in. And… she’ll use that knowledge to reassure herself. “I’m going to be fine,” she whispers. “For now… I’m going to be fine.”

Another raggedy sigh. Despite herself, she feels sick. And even if she’ll be okay her whole body aches. A temporary pain, but like nothing she’s ever felt. Some part of her almost wants to laugh.

_ ‘Well,’  _ she thinks.  _ ‘I guess I’ll never be able to complain about being hit again. Not when I’ve felt  _ **_this.’_ **

It’s not funny. Even she knows that, but it’s all she has. She cranes her head back and stares up at the ceiling.

There’s no use in dwelling on depressing things. Not when she needs to keep herself cool. She should… think about something that makes her happy. Yes, that’s what she needs right now... a happy memory.

It takes a while to find one... at first her mind wanders to fists against face and Reaper’s crazed screams. But eventually as she wades through recollections of insults and small disagreements with her family she stumbles upon something she can look back on fondly. She can’t believe she almost forgot.

...Reaper had told her he believed in her.

It had happened right before all of this went down. And so she supposes it was easy to forget in the onslaught, but… he’d touched her face, hadn’t he? Yes, she remembers the golden glow. She’d begged him to give her the strength to live one more year and he’d reached out through the glass. Told her that whatever she faced… he was sure she could handle it.

Ha. How little either of them knew at the time.

She’s not sure why she tears up. It’s a good memory. She shouldn’t be… scared. She tries to shake the feeling off, but it’s no use. Little tears trail down her cheeks, and she can’t even reach up to wipe them.

She feels pathetic. But she tries not to dwell on that, either. And… she tries to forget what The Reaper told her. As much as it means to her she can’t go getting choked up right now. She can’t risk Yanagisawa seeing her that way. He can’t think she’s scared. No, not at all.

...She needs to look brave.

It’s a long time before she sees him again. For a moment she even briefly wonders if he’d abandoned her here. But she quickly shakes the thought. ‘No. He’s too narcissistic,’ she declares, before shaking that, too.

‘No. Not narcissistic,’ she rectifies. ‘Just… passionate. He’s too passionate about this to leave me here.’

(Some part of her still feels the need to make excuses.)

Her mind wanders up and down like that the whole time. Doubting her situation and then reminding herself to think about this calmly… kindly, too. ‘You’ll be okay,’ again and again. Fighting back tears, and repeating it like a mantra. ‘You don’t have anything to be scared of. You’re going to be okay. All you have to do is be optimistic. Like… like you’ve always been.’

(‘You’ve… always been okay.’

She purges the sensation of  _ dying  _ from her mind.)

She’s half asleep when the door creaks open. Yanagisawa steps inside, and Aguri flinches on instinct.

She looks his way. He’s much less disheveled than before, but that hardly says much. Even with a fresh set of bandages and a newly-white lab coat he’s got a certain unsteadiness to the way he walks. His knuckles are pale and his hair is in disarray.

...She can’t see his eye.

He approaches, stiltedly. And as he does Aguri gives him a smile. Some part of her wants to quiver… but she can’t risk that, not now.

“Kotaro!” she says. “You’re back. I’d almost thought you left me here.”

He doesn’t give her so much as a glance. Simply digs through his things and frowns.

“Listen,” Aguri continues, voice tense. “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about earlier, and… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. And I shouldn’t have told you I wouldn’t fight Reaper. I… think I want to, actually. What he did was really horrible and I…” she pauses. “I want to make things right. I want to stop him before he hurts anyone else.”

She expects some kind of reaction, but Yanagisawa gives her none. Expression neutral, he empties something bright red into a vial.

Aguri squirms slightly. 

“And I know… I know I really disrespected you,” she continues. “But I wasn’t thinking straight, I swear. I was in a lot of pain, and well…-” she pauses. “You know how I am...  _ making dumb decisions all the time.  _ It’s only like me to screw up then.” She lets out a tired laugh. “But... I’ve changed my mind, alright? I… I want to take everything I said back. And I want to help you out. So please… undo my restraints. You can let me out of here and we can try this again. I’ll do things right this time.”

It’s another long moment before Yanagisawa replies. Aguri almost starts to think he’s ignoring her… and even opens her mouth to speak, but before she can get a word out he finally responds.

“You really think I’ll fall for this, huh?”

Aguri’s mouth feels dry.

“I’m… not sure what you’re talking about. I mean… I-”

_ “No, _ Yukimura. **_No._ ** Absolutely not.”

Yanagisawa draws closer… and Aguri’s blood runs cold.

“What do…-  _ what do you mean,  _ no? I just-” Her breath hitches. _ “I just said I’d help you out!” _

“And I said  **_no,”_ ** Yanagisawa replies, teeth grit. “I warned you what you were getting into before and you didn’t listen to me.  _ You made your choice  _ and this is your life now. Nothing you say is going to change my mind about that. I’ve already given you  _ more  _ than enough chances.”

“One more,” Aguri begs. “One more chance. That’s all I need. I promise. I won’t- I’m not going to  _ leave!  _ I just- I can’t possibly get into fighting shape like  _ this. _ ”

“Like you  _ care,”  _ Yanagisawa retorts. “First of all, I  _ don’t believe you.  _ Don’t think I’m stupid, woman. I know exactly what you’re doing. You’re just saying what I want to hear. And even if you  _ weren’t,  _ it’s too late.  _ You’ve already sealed your fate. _ ” 

“Not only did you  _ disrespect me, insult me, and lie to me,”  _ he continues, reaching out for her arm. “But you  _ cheated on me, ruined my experiment, and  _ **_almost got me killed._ ** I don’t care  **_what_ ** you have to say. You’re  _ out  _ of chances, Yukimura. And you’re getting what you deserve.”

Aguri struggles to pull her arm away, but it’s no use. She can’t fight the restraints. And as she lets out a whimper Yanagisawa’s iron grip closes in around her wrist. He pumps a syringe, teeth clenched. And only as he lets out a disapproving sneer is she able to finally meet his gaze.

_...Finally  _ able to see the fire behind his eye.

Like nothing she’s ever seen from him before, his expression overflows with fervor. Filled with determination and hate… he stares down at her like she’s the most disgusting thing he’s ever seen. And slowly… he brings the needle to her skin.

_ “Kotaro,” _ Aguri repeats, feeling feverish. “Please. I’m begging you just to think this through. Take one second. That’s all. You’re going to regret this.”

“No.  _ I won’t.  _ I know I’m making the right decision. And you can make me out to be the irrational one all you want… you can call me crazy, lady. But if you think you can tell me how I feel, then, well…-” Yanagisawa pauses.  **_“Then you’re the crazy one.”_ **

That’s all it takes. With those final venomous words, he presses the syringe down. The needle breaks Aguri’s skin, and all at once, she’s on fire again. Writhing, screaming… Aguri shrieks and pulls back… slams her head against the operating table and attempts to kick. But even as magma flows through her veins she can’t let Yanagisawa go… not yet. And as he turns to leave she lets out an inhuman screech.

**_“PLEASE!”_ ** She begs.  _ “JUST LET ME OUT OF HERE! I’M BEGGING YOU!” _

**_(THIS MAY BE THE LAST CHANCE SHE HAS!)_ **

“And  _ there it is,” _ Yanagisawa says, back turned to her. “Your  _ true  _ motivation. You can tell me whatever you want… tell me you’re going to help me, even. But I will  _ never  _ let you go. You wanna know why?”

**_“Because this isn’t about getting what I want. It’s about punishing you. And THIS is what you fucking deserve.”_ **

Aguri continues to scream. But if Yanagisawa cares he certainly doesn’t voice it. He simply gives her one last dirty look and stares at her outreached hand, before shaking his head, stepping out, and slamming the door behind him.

“I’ll be back,” Aguri thinks she hears him say as it locks. “And try as you might to change my mind next time… the answer will only be the same. After all, I think there’s only one thing I want deep down.”

_ “...To hear you continue to scream like this for the rest of your miserable life.” _

With that, he disappears for real. And try as she might, Aguri can’t help but let out a wail. Because not only does it hurt, but now… really and truly… she has nothing left to lose.

* * *

The next few days pass much the same.

Well… Aguri’s not sure they’re  _ days,  _ actually… it’s hard to keep track of time in this place. But whenever she sees Yanagisawa he’s in the same crappy mood. And although she attempts to appeal to his human side it’s no use. He’s become  _ convinced  _ of what he’s doing… and grows ever more violent when she attempts to suggest an alternative.

“You can’t weasel your way out of  _ this  _ one,” he chides, hooking her up to an IV so he can keep her fed. “I’m  _ done  _ falling for your tricks.”

Aguri shivers and lets out a sigh.

It’s maybe a week into her predicament that she stops asking him to reason with her. She feels like she should be stronger than that… but she can’t bear for a minute longer to hear what he has to say. When she begs for mercy he reminds her that she’ll never see her friends or family again, and that’s an ache her heart can’t handle. She’ll… she’ll just have to find another way out.

(The place  _ is  _ in ruins, after all.)

Yanagisawa smirks as he steps into the room. Says something about her silence being music to his ears.

“Not that you’ll be silent for long, of course,” he says as he reaches for the syringe.

Aguri struggles to blink back tears. 

She wishes she could say she’s grown used to the pain by now- but she hasn’t. As ever-constant as it is, it somehow seems to grow worse each time, and she dreads the wild thrashing of her limbs. She wishes she could feel whatever it is that Reaper felt... he certainly hadn’t looked afraid undergoing the same experiments. But even praying to him for strength, she still flinches as Yanagisawa approaches.

“At least tell me how long it’s been,” she begs. “I’m starting to lose track of time in here.” 

“Does it really matter?” Yanagisawa replies. “It’s not like the outside world misses you, anyways.”

Aguri wants to argue… but she just can’t find the words. And something tells her that’s not just because of the fear of retribution, either.

She wonders, absentmindedly, how Reaper and Akari are doing. 

...That said, of course, she doesn’t ask.

_ (Quite frankly, she’s not sure she can handle the answer.) _

She passes the time with thoughts of them. That, and thoughts of her students. Yes… when she’s not utterly incoherent with pain, they’re what keeps her strong. She dwells on the good memories - clings to them like a safety blanket… and manages to smile, ever-briefly. She shakes off that doubt and promises herself that they miss her. They have to. Otherwise…

Well, what is she worth?

Maybe she’s getting her hopes up just a little too much. But she thinks it’s important to focus on what you  _ do  _ have during a time like this.

When she’s not focusing on them she’s assessing the lab… trying to make an escape plan of some sort. She’s not particularly strong or smart like Reaper was… but she has his previous escape to go off of. The lab’s still in shambles, and a few of the walls around her have collapsed. If she manages to break free of her restraints she’ll be as good as gone. Though of course… Yanagisawa had anticipated that, too.

They’re tight ‘round her wrists and her ankles. And no matter how hard she tries to slip out it’s simply no use. She’s not particularly amorphous or destructive… not like the Reaper was at the end there.

(She’s not particularly sure she  _ wants  _ to be.)

Yanagisawa must see her trying to break free one day, because as he steps inside he rolls his eyes.

“Cut that out, will you?” he says, slapping her hand. “It’s no use.”

All the same, Aguri struggles until her wrists are red and raw.

She can hear construction somewhere further in the lab. Yanagisawa is already no doubt fixing what it is that Reaper broke. Aguri wonders what will happen when the construction gets to her. This is the most important room to fortify, isn’t it? But there’s no way Yanagisawa is doing all of this on his own. He  _ has  _ to have hired people. They aren’t seriously just going to leave her here, are they?

Maybe she can… she can rely on them for help!

She tries to shout down the hallways, but it’s no use. Yanagisawa tells her to shut up, and if they hear her, the workers certainly don’t respond.

“You’re not getting out of here,” he insists sometime the next day. “Try as you may, Yukimura, no-one’s coming to help you.”

“...This is illegal, Kotaro. Eventually  _ someone  _ will get wind of what’s going on-”

“And they  **_won’t care._ ** You remember what we did to The Reaper, don’t you? There were  _ hundreds  _ of scientists in that lab and not a single one of them gave a shit. Even  _ you,  _ who was busy sucking him off, didn’t attempt to ‘help.’ No-one’s going to put themself at risk assisting you… and besides." He gives a nasty sneer. “Even if you  _ did  _ get out of here I’d just find someone to replace you. Maybe that precious sister of yours. Would you like to see  _ her  _ in this situation?”

Now  _ that  _ shuts Aguri up. Struggling for breath, she shakes her head.

“N… no-” she whispers.  **_“Anything but that._ ** Leave Akari out of this-”

“I will,” Yanagisawa coos. “As long as you behave.” He pats Aguri on the head. “Now stop struggling. Enough with the shouting. Enough with the fighting your restraints. You don’t want to go making me  _ really  _ pissed off, do you?"

“...No,” Aguri murmurs. “No.”

“Exactly. So be on your best behavior…  **_or else.”_ **

His voice is a feverous growl.

Maybe a few months ago Aguri would have perceived that as an empty threat. But now chained up to this operating table she has  _ no doubt  _ her ex-fiance would be willing to do the same to her baby sister. She can’t possibly risk that.  **_Not even if it fucking kills her._ **

...If she gets out of here, it’s going to have to be on Yanagisawa’s terms.

Needless to say, Aguri stops struggling.

A few days later Yanagisawa notes that the skin around her wound is discolored. He crouches and unbuttons her patient's gowns to get a better look. Trying desperately to ignore her growing discomfort, Aguri wonders exactly what that means. Discolored as in… infected? Or greyish, like Reaper’d been at the end there?

She asks, but he doesn’t answer her. Instead, slinking up to her side, he takes a good look at her arm and describes that as well.

“Discolored, too,” he notes. “Reddish veins.  _ Interesting.” _

Those she can see. She hadn’t particularly noticed it, but now that he points it out to her, her veins  _ are  _ looking weird. And it’s not even just that they’re twitching… there’s a definitive crimson tint to them.  _ That  _ leaves a strange taste in her mouth.

“Reaper didn’t display physical changes nearly this soon. A result of the alterations… or simply your own lack of an emotional fortitude?” 

Yanagisawa rubs at his chin, and Aguri’s brow furrows.  _ Alterations…  _ what exactly does that mean?

Well… she supposes it only makes sense that he changed  _ something  _ if his intent is to make her even stronger than her predecessor… but she doesn’t know what it is that he’d have altered. She wishes she could take a glance at his notes for just a  _ second.  _ At least if she were in the exact same scenario as Reaper she’d know what she’s getting into… but now she’s  _ completely  _ in the dark.

...Does that mean she has less time before it’s too late?  _ More?  _ She’s hardly sure what she should think!

Either way, she thinks about it long after Yanagisawa is gone. 

Is… is what she’s going through more  _ painful  _ than what Reaper went through? That would certainly explain her incoherent reaction. But the minute she has the thought she shakes it off. No… it’s narcissistic to minimize his pain. She’s sure this felt every bit as bad for him as it is for her. He was just better at hiding it.

(She remembers him smiling, even after coughing up a puddle of blood onto the floor.)

She wishes she could hide it, too.

She feels bad about what Yanagisawa said about her not helping him. Should she have...-  _ should  _ she have done something? She wouldn’t have known where to start… but now that she thinks about it she  _ really  _ hadn’t stood up for Reaper, had she? How can she possibly expect anyone to stand up for her now?

‘I’m sorry,’ she thinks. ‘I was just scared. That… and I didn’t want to let go of you.’ She shuts her eyes. ‘You were the only company I had. I’ll apologize for that, too, when I see you again.’

(She… she has to. At least once.  _ Please.  _ There’s so much left for her to say. Who cares if she can’t fight back and she can’t reason with Yanagisawa? There has to be another way… right?)

She tries to get a look at her ‘discolored’ wound, but it’s simply no use. She can’t crane her head far enough, and her abdomen’s covered, anyways. She’s left alone with her thoughts… and  _ boy  _ do they run wild.

She can feel it twitching sometimes: her wound. It has since the beginning, but it’s getting worse. Where it’d once only twitched after antimatter injections, now it’s moving all the time. The sensation makes her deadly queasy.

It feels like it wants to break away from her skin. Aguri almost wishes she could let it.

Her arms and legs are spasming now, too… and her fingers are worse. They’ve gone beyond jerking and have begun to contort. It doesn’t hurt, at least not more than anything else… but staring at the bright red blood flow running up the back of her palm, she feels her stomach do flips. Something is horribly,  _ horribly  _ wrong.

(It’s not just her wound that wants to break away, is it? Her whole body wants to  _ crack. _

She wonders if it’s too late for her. She wonders how long it’s been.)

She keeps telling herself she’ll be able to live a normal life… when she gets out of here, she means… but it’s becoming harder and harder to believe that will happen at all. She  _ really  _ doesn’t want anything happening to Akari, and the more than Yanagisawa talks the more he scares her. Is she going to be here forever? Is  _ this  _ the rest of her miserable life?

...She knows she’d probably deserve it, but-

No. Someone will come to rescue her… she’s sure.

They… have to. Reaper will notice there was something suspicious about her death or Akari will notice Yanagisawa’s behaving even more erratically than usual and they’ll come back for her. They’ll get her out of here. And then… then-

_ Well-  _ Akari will be fine. Aguri will make sure of it. Reaper and her will protect her, and…-

She’ll get her happy ending.

She doesn’t believe it, not even for a second… but it’s a nice fantasy. When you don’t stand a chance of really fighting back against someone like this, you’ll take anything you can get.

(When you know you won’t be missed, it’s nice to at least pretend you are.)

...Aguri wishes she wasn’t so weak-willed.

She’s crying most of the time now. She hates it… because she knows it delights Yanagisawa, but there’s nothing else she can do. Even when she’s  _ not  _ in overwhelming pain she simply doesn’t know how else to let out her emotions. She feels lost now more than ever, and she wishes more than  _ anything  _ she just had someone to talk to.

That’s how Reaper avoided going insane, isn’t it? She wasn’t a very good friend to him, but at least he  _ had  _ her. Aguri… she has nothing.

Nothing except Yanagisawa.

But he doesn’t talk to her. Not even in an angry way, most of the time. He simply observes her… maybe makes a bitter comment or two, and then turns to go. Aguri doesn’t know why, but that’s worse. It’s like… a facsimile of human connection.

_...She’s really lonely. _

As the days continue to pass the construction progresses. She tries to estimate how long it’s been based on that, but it’s hard. Has… has she seen that person before? Has it been a day? Or is this simply a second shift? It’s hard to tell. She’s pretty sure it’s been somewhere around a few weeks, but there’s no being certain.

_ (‘What if you’ve only been here for a few days?’  _ she thinks. _ ‘A  _ **_few days_ ** _ and you’re already losing your mind?’ _

_...Wouldn’t that be frightening?) _

She tries to make small talk with the workers as they draw in closer, but it’s no use. Even though she doesn’t ask them for help, Yanagisawa seems irritated by her attempts at small talk… and the workers don’t respond, anyways. They simply give her an unamused, pitying look, and then carry on with their routine.

Aguri wonders if she’s human to them.

Slowly but surely the glass is repaired and Aguri’s prison is complete. After that, the workers seem to disperse entirely… at least from any place she can see. And as her hope of escape continues to dwindle, the loneliness returns.

She’s drowning in it, one night, when Yanagisawa approaches. It’s strange, because she thinks she saw him only a few hours ago… but then again, there’s no trusting her sense of time. She gives him a worried look as he draws closer, noting his strange apparel.

Up until now, he’s stuck to his lab coat… but suddenly he’s in something that much more closely resembles robes. Long and white, with ends that taper off to the side and massive sleeves, there’s a sort of eeriness to it. He’s got a cowl ‘round his neck... although it’s not up at the moment, and thick, fabricy-looking gloves. It may just have to be one of the strangest things Aguri’s ever seen.

She doesn’t comment on it as he approaches…  _ of course she doesn’t-  _ she’s not  _ that  _ stupid, but he must catch her giving him a weird look, because he lets out a chuckle.

“What?” he asks. “Befuddled by my new outfit? I suppose I can’t particularly blame you.” He brings his hand to his chin. “But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’ve been thinking… and I have a proposition to make to you.” 

Aguri doesn’t get her hopes up… not yet, but she gives a nod.

“What is it?” She asks.

She’s sure it’s just something more to do with the experiment… and something she won’t have any say in, either, for that matter. It’s not like Yanagisawa would give her good news... but the phrase ‘preposition’ alone still excites her.  _ Anything  _ is better than sitting here lonely. And even if he’s just going to torture her, at least h-

_ “I’ve been thinking about letting you go.” _

Aguri’s thoughts slow to a halt. At first she thinks he’s mocking her, but then she meets his eye. He’s saying that with a surprisingly serious expression.

“You…  _ you really mean that!?” _

She can’t stop the excitement from creeping into her tone. Even if it seems too good to be true, at least it’s a good thought at all! And  _ hey…!  _ He doesn’t shake his head at her response. Maybe… maybe he’s  _ really going to- _

“Of course I mean that,” he says with another laugh. “I’ve been thinking over your argument and I just couldn’t stop remembering what you said about the two of us working together. Even if it’s very true you hurt my feelings… I… have a feeling you could be an invaluable ally, Yukimura.”

“Of course this wouldn’t be an arrangement without strings attached,” he continues, fingers steepled. “I’d still require you to kill The Reaper… but I wouldn’t need to keep you in this stuffy lab any further. Who knows! Perhaps I could even let you see your sister again. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Y…  _ yes!”  _ Aguri cries. “It would!”

She’s still not certain… it seems so unlike him… but he says it with such an amiable expression on his face. How can she doubt that? This is… this is the Yanagisawa she hasn’t seen in years. Maybe he  _ is  _ really coming down from his delirium. 

After all… if he was just trying to mess with her, there’s… no way he would offer up an imperfect solution. He’d be telling her she could see Reaper again… that they could all be friends, but he’s not. He’s telling her that she’ll have to kill, and somehow that’s the best thing she’s heard in months!

_ “I’ll do it.  _ Anything you say... I’ll do it.” Her voice is practically a sputter. “I’d… I’d be honored to help out! _ Thank you so much, Kotaro!” _

She’s so happy she could cry. Of course… she won’t _ actually _ have any part in killing The Reaper, but this is her  **_out!_ ** All she has to do is pretend for a little while longer and then she’ll be free! She can finally see the light!

_ And all she had to do was wait for a shred of kindness! _

Unconsciously, her right arm is twitching. She blinks back tears and gives him a grin. “Thank you.  _ Thank you. Thank you.” _

It feels stupid to say to the guy who’s been keeping her here all this time… but it’s  _ something!  _ If she doesn’t want then she’ll  _ never  _ have to see him again after this.  **_She’s going to be okay!_ **

“Of course,” Yanagisawa says with another smile. “Now why don’t you let me get you out of those cramped restraints? All I need is onneeee second.”

He crouches to fiddle around with something on the side of the operating table… buttons or whatever. Aguri squints as he does. She’s not sure why, but there’s a weird smell to him. Nevertheless, she quickly shrugs it off. There are much more important things for her to be focusing on right now. And speaking of… her restraints pop right off.

She takes a deep, raggedy breath… sits up, and slides her legs off of the operating table. It’s before she can step to the ground, however, that Yanagisawa holds an inviting hand out.

“Allow me to give you a hand,” he insists. “Your muscles must be atrophied after so much disuse.”

She reaches out to take his hand without a second thought. His smile looks genuine enough, after all. But it’s only after she reaches out to clutch it that it suddenly looks sharklike.

And  _ that’s  _ when her hand explodes.

Aguri lets out a cry as pain rockets outward from her palm. Reeling back, she attempts to pull away from Yanagisawa, but it’s no use. His grip’s iron, and her legs feel weak.

“W-  _ what are you doing!?”  _ She cries, giving her hand another tug. “That  _ hurts!” _

There’s blood dribbling down her arm. Yanagisawa observes it curiously, before pulling her back in. Aguri’s mind starts to race. She really wants to believe this is a simple misunderstanding, but-

_ I thought you were letting me  _ **_go!”_ **

She chokes on the words… stares at him with teary eyes, and lets out another shout.

“I’m afraid not, Yukimura,” Yanagisawa chides. “I simply wanted to get a better look at-”

She doesn’t let him finish. She can’t possibly. Instead… she pulls away with all of her might… kicking backwards wildly, and making a mad dash towards the door. She manages to get her good hand clutched around the handle… but it’s no use. The glass is up now, and Yanagisawa’s gloves leave blistering red marks on her skin. He pulls her back by her hair and grabs the back of her neck, then slams her, full force, back down onto the operating table. One by one, he redoes her restraints.

She attempts to fight him off… kicks at his face and screams, but there’s nothing she can do. Her body is atrophied… her muscles feel weak… and one after the other he manages to return her to her prison.

“What’s going on!?” She screams, tears spilling down her cheeks. **_“I thought you were going to-!”_ **

_ “‘Let you go?’”  _ Yanagisawa finishes, his voice a mocking falsetto. “Don’t tell me you seriously _ believed  _ that!”

Aguri sputters for breath, letting out little raggedy sobs. She stares up at him with wide eyes.

“And here I was thinking you were  _ smarter  _ than that. Perhaps I overestimated your competence.” Yanagisawa smiles. “No, the plan was never to let you out of here. I simply had to make sure your body was absorbing the Antimatter properly. That.. and test out if my new Anti-sensei fabric was working.” He puts his cowl up over his head. “What do you think?”

“What do I… _ what do I-?” _ Aguri sputters, before shaking her head. “You need to listen to me, Kotaro!”

“I believe you’re not in the position to be giving  _ me  _ orders right now,” Yanagisawa says. “Now answer my question:  **_Does it hurt?”_ **

Aguri bites down on her lip as he wraps his hand ‘round her arm… but she can hardly hold her shout in for long. Sure enough, the material burns her skin… and even if she doesn’t give Yanagisawa a ‘yes,’ an ‘ow’ seems to be enough.

He gives her a nod.

“Good. That means you’re progressing nicely.” He pauses. “That… and that I can utilize this to kill the Reaper. Good,  _ good.  _ It’s all coming together.”

Aguri lets out a whimper. While she’s relieved to her that her companion is still alive… things aren’t looking good for him, are they?

(...Things aren’t looking good for either of them.)

Yanagisawa must notice the disheartened expression on her face, because he turns and lets out a chuckle.

“Don’t look that way  _ yet,”  _ he chides. “You’ve hardly seen anything. Seeing as how the development was a success… I fully intend to reinforce this room with Anti-sensei material. You won’t be making an escape like your predecessor. And so frown over  _ that,  _ why don’t you? You’re never leaving here. Really, if you thought anything else, then you should just blame yourself for getting your hopes up. Ever the stupid one, weren’t you, Yukimura?”

He reaches out for the door handle... cracks it open, and sticks a leg outside.

“I’ve got to go. There are much more important things to be studying at the moment. But remember this reminder, won’t you? And… thank you for the assistance.”

He slams the door before she can respond. Steps outside in the way she so desperately wishes she could and leaves her alone. She stares at that door for what feels like forever… her lip quivering and her hands starting to shake. But no matter how hard she cries she doesn’t feel any better.

...Why had she seriously thought that was a possibility? She’s been here for, like, a month, and she thought he was just going to let her go!? What a  _ joke! _

She just…  _ what else was she supposed to do?  _ Even if it sounded too good to be true it was all she had! Was there really something so wrong with believing that for just a minute?

Auuuughhhhhhh! She should have just made a run for it the moment he undid her restraints! But she got her hopes up of doing this on  _ his  _ terms… and of  **_course_ ** he was screwing with her. He would have given her more details before  **_ever_ ** letting her go.

(...He wouldn’t have let her go at all. Who is she  _ kidding?) _

It’s harder now than ever to breathe. Hyperventilating and shutting her eyes tight she trembles like a leaf… calls herself stupid _over and over_ again and tries, desperately to ignore the pain radiating from her palm… from her forearm... from the back of her neck.

Her hand, in particular, isn’t looking good. She doesn’t know how to describe it… but it’s  _ melted,  _ somewhat. Discolored skin sloughs off and mixes with blood… dripping down onto the floor. It looks like her body is attempting to mend the wound, but it’s no use. She’s simply still too human.

(Or too… not.)

Reaper displayed superhuman healing abilities near the end there. But she supposes she’s not like him. It’s not like all of her genes have come anywhere close to being replaced yet. And as such… her hand simply continues to ache: a disgusting display and a punishment for having the audacity to trust all at once.

She’s really mad at herself.  _ Seriously…  _ she should have just run! But she was scared of something happening to Akari if she  **_did._ ** And besides… is there really something so bad about wanting to believe that this could have worked itself out on it’s own? Is there  **_really_ ** something so bad about wanting to see the best in people?

...Of course there is. She’d have to be  _ stupid  _ to think otherwise. But she  _ swears  _ Yanagisawa’s been okay to her before. Was  _ that  _ real? Did she simply use up all his patience? Or have those brief moments of kindness been like this sleight of hand… nothing more than a magic trick?

A few months ago Reaper asked her why she stayed. Aguri, looking up from her paperwork, asked what he meant.

“I mean… I don’t get why you just sit and take it. Why don’t you just  _ leave  _ that person?”

“Well…” Aguri’d said, biting her lip. “I don’t have much of a choice. It was an arranged marriage, you know.”

“And you can still  _ break it off.” _

“...Not really. My dad would get super upset,” Aguri’d explained. “Our family was in a really bad financial situation before Yanagisawa… but he saved our company, and I had to thank him for that… otherwise he was going to go.” She frowned. “If he’d done that, we’d have had to start relying on my baby sister for money. And she was way too young for that. There’s no way I could have put her through that.”

“And besides… it’s not all bad!” She’d tacked on with a bright smile. “Yanagisawa’s  _ really  _ not as bad as he looks. Sure… I’m not attracted to him, and I don’t really want to be in a relationship, but he’s not a bad person. He just has… issues. That doesn’t make him any less successful or smart. I’m sure he’s got a good heart somewhere deep down. I just need to _ find it.”  _

‘Well… you failed at that,’ she thinks, staring up at the tiled ceiling. ‘Either there was nothing in there at all, or  _ you  _ failed to uncover it. I suppose it doesn’t matter much either way.  _ This  _ is your life now.’

She blinks back tears. She just wanted to make him happy.  **_That’s all she wanted to do…_ ** _ she  _ **_just_ ** _ wanted to make everyone happy,  _ and she couldn’t even accomplish that. What kind of screw-up is she!? Forget making people happy! She can’t even go without making people  _ mad. _

...Maybe she deserves this. She’s not sure, but she does know one thing:

Yanagisawa certainly believes she does. He said he did this to her to test out two things... but he could have checked both by just grabbing her arm. He didn’t  _ have  _ to tell her he was going to let her go. He just  **_wanted_ ** to get her hopes up.  _ That  _ was the reminder he was talking about. This didn’t have anything to do with those strange cloaks or her deformed hand… not really.

This was all about giving her hope, only to tear it away.

Aguri doesn’t forget what that feels like… not for a  _ very  _ long time.

* * *

A few days later, it bursts from her skin.

Nothing feels particularly abnormal beforehand… at least not in comparison to what she’s grown used to. She’s simply staring up at the ceiling, eyes glazed over and muscles twitching, when an abrupt pain runs up her arm.

Before she can even fully process it there’s a ripping sound… the scent of blood and something rupturing forth from her skin. She lets out a yelp, and stares- instantly, at the offending limb.

What she sees makes her freeze.

There… protruding from the inside of her arm, is something thin and fleshy. Undeniably weak, but resembling something she’s seen before nevertheless...

A tentacle: pale grey and twitching… thankful, somehow, to finally be free.

Almost instantly he’s on her: confirming her suspicion that she’s being watched even when he’s not there in the adjacent room. Yanagisawa presses his face to the glass… simultaneously bewildered and ecstatic, before stepping inside.

He makes his way over to her and undoes the restraint on just that one arm. He grabs it roughly before she can possibly resist, and wrenches it his way. He doesn’t have his ‘Anti-sensei’ gloves on this time, but it still hurts a surprising amount.

“Fascinating…” he says. “And so my hypothesis was correct: something is _surely_ different about the way you’re developing. Reaper didn’t display any changes like this until he was nearly _seven months in.”_ He pauses, staring at her with a hungry gaze. “But what could it possibly mean? Is it a result of the changes… or…-?” He shakes his head. “No. It’s definitely an effect of your emotional aptitude. Amplified by negative stimuli… or…?” He drifts off. “I’ll have to investigate this further. _For now…-”_

He scrambles for his tools… reaches out for a scalpel. That, and some sort of green instrument. 

He makes a cut at the tentacle first… smirks when Aguri flinches back.

“Lacerates like human skin,” he notes. “Perhaps slightly more fragile.” He pauses. “There appears to be muscle inside, but it takes on a strange appearance. Bleeds significantly less than the arm would.”

“And then… let’s see,” he continues. “Reaction to Anti-sensei material?”

He presses the back of the green instrument to the tip of the appendage. On contact it combusts… strange goo exploding in his face.

Yanagisawa wipes it off with a tsk.

“Similar reaction. Appears to be made completely out of Antimatter. Much more receptive than the hand or skin were, but both still destruct.” He turns to Aguri, an analytical look on his face. “Does it hurt?”

Aguri doesn’t respond. She’s too busy staring at the tentacle blossoming from her arm. It’s half the length it was before now… and the end looks mutilated, but she can still feel it wriggling as it moves. 

_ ‘This is a part of my body now,’  _ she thinks.  _ ‘It’s extending from my muscle.  _ **_This is my body.’_ **

She feels half ready to throw up.

**_“Yukimura,”_ ** Yanagisawa repeats. “Does it hurt to cut?”

“Uh… yes-” she finally replies. “Both the incision and the ‘Anti-sensei material’ hurt.”

“Good,” Yanagisawa says, letting out a low hum. “That’s what I like to hear.” 

He stands up straight.

“I won’t be locking up the tentacle for now… I’d like to observe it further. But I expect you to behave, Yukimura. Don’t utilize this as a method of escape or mischief. Not only should you know your place by now, but  _ I  _ know you wouldn’t want anything to happen to your family.”

He turns. “Expect further similar changes in the future. The mutations will most likely accelerate from here.” He gives a smirk. “Fitting… isn’t it? That you’re finally turning into the kind of disgusting person you are deep down?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer… simply trods over to the door, opens it, and slams it behind him. He’s not particularly interested in what Aguri has to say, and besides, she has a feeling he knows the answer anyways. 

She lets out a shallow breath as he makes his exit. He’s still inevitably watching her through the camera, but it’s nice not to hear his voice. 

...It’s nice to be left alone with her thoughts.

She briefly considers using the tentacle to try and reach the apparatus on the side of the operating table… but that thought dies quickly.  _ What’s the use?  _ He’s right… there’s no way someone like her could get out of here on her own. And even if she  _ did  _ somehow miraculously manage to press the right button she’d still be here alone in this room. She doesn’t have a way to break out of  _ that…  _ not with one measly tentacle.

It’s not worth risking her or her sister’s or Reaper’s safety. Like always, it seems she just has to ‘sit down and take it.’

...Why does the thought make her heart hurt so much?

The tentacle writhes wildly as the rest of her sits there still… staring up at the ceiling. It’s a disgusting sensation, but all the same she wonders what it means.

She remembers telling Reaper that his own tentacles must have been saying what it was he really felt… what he was too afraid to get across. But when you’re  _ always  _ afraid… well-

Aguri’s not sure what it is you can’t just show on your face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF. Another heavy chapter, huh?
> 
> ...Yeah. It's gonna be like this for a while.
> 
> I had fun (well... 'fun') getting into a lot of different stuff in this chapter. First and foremost I think I wanted to display denial. Aguri's a very hopeful person... and so I wanted to have her ignore the reality of her situation in a few different ways, whether that be fantasizing about being able to change Yanagisawa's mind or letting herself fall for his sick prank.
> 
> Right now she's still forcing herself to be optimistic... but that optimism is starting to waver. And as the fear dawns on her, it's needless to say things are only going to get worse from hereon out.
> 
> It was interesting writing the mutations. I consider myself much more of a dialogue-based writer than a prose one, but I still tried my best to detail how gnarly it is. Something horrible is going on in Aguri's body, and I wanted to capture both the psychologically taxing and physically gnarly aspects of that. That said, in regards to that sort of stuff, this is only the start, so expect more body horror in the future.
> 
> For the record, all of these Aguri experimentation POV chapters won't be the same, though. Each of them focus on a different mindset she takes up to cope in this place... and so look forward to the way her thinking slowly changes.
> 
> Next chapter will be up next week. Like I said: I wanna get through this bunch quickly. Don't wanna burn too many people out.
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were Bruno Is Orange by Hop Along (Again), Didn't I See This Movie from Next To Normal, The Spine Song by Cake Betty Betty, Help I'm Alive by Metric, Zydrate Anatomy from Repo, Hold Me Down by Halsey, and Medicine by Daughter. There's not a ton of musical variation with these chapters... there's only so much to convey this kind of shitty mood. That said we'll get into more different music as we get into later chapters and away from this topic eventually.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed, and make sure to let me know what you thought. Please take care of yourselves, and I'll see you soon!


	3. Something To Cling To Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same TWs as usual! There's a lot going on in the real world, so take care of yourselves both reading this and in general, alright? Love you all.

It worked. I KNEW IT WOULD WORK.

I KNEW I wasn’t a sham

She’s  **alive.**

**\---**

13 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

Title: Antimatter And Matter Generating Cells In Lifesaving Operations And Cellular Replacement Procedures

Purpose: ~~To reattempt the previous Antimatter experiment while both improving the efficiency of the subject’s power development and preventing the same catastrophic events.~~ **_I’LL SHOW HER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DISRESPECT ME._**

Materials And Methods: Antimatter and Matter generating cells injected via the bloodstream once a day.

Procedures: Subject to change as the experiment continues.

\---

13 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

First injection since consciousness has been administered. Subject not willing to participate. She is to stay on the operating table at all times. 

**_DO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH HER._ ** She is just as crafty and manipulative as her predecessor.

Body has not shown a noticeable reaction to the initial dose. She seemed to thrash some upon administration, but it remains unclear if this is due to a chemical reaction or simple fear/her residual wound. Will be observed further.

**\---**

14 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

Subject’s body twitches, even when asleep. Most noticeable in the fingers and around her wound. Site of injury seems discolored, although it is unclear whether this is actual mutation or something that will fade with time.

Subject attempted to talk to me and even claimed she’d participate in the experiment willingly from here on out, but I did not humor her. Dosage was administered as usual.

She displayed the same jerky motions. They appear uncontrollable. She began to bash the back of her head on the operating table as she called out for me.

...Needless to say, I didn’t answer.

**\---**

14 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

IV has been administered for eating and hydration. Reaction to Antimatter dosage has remained the same. Consider it stagnant until further notice.

\---

20 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

Subject has stopped attempting to reason with me. She's quiet, mostly, when I enter the test chamber.

\---

23 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

Subject made futile attempts to escape: Both in fighting her restraints and attempting to make contact with construction workers down the hall. I put a stop to both behaviors quickly.

\---

25 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

Skin around the wound remains discolored. Grey in saturation. Twitches at all times. Veins have taken on a slight reddish tint. 

Showing slight mutations much faster than her predecessor ever did. A result of her emotional instability, or a simple side effect of the matter generating cells? It’s yet to be seen.

\---

28 March 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

Development of Anti-sensei material successful. Subject’s hand exploded upon contact. This will be most useful for apprehending the octopus.

Not only that, but it is a surefire sign the subject is absorbing the Antimatter properly. Things are going well.

\---

3 April 2014

_ Kotaro Yanagisawa _

SUBJECT DEVELOPED A TENTACLE. Things are months ahead of schedule.

Subject appears to have no control over the appendage. It, too, is sensitive to Anti-sensei material… although it can also be cut with basic instruments at the moment. Pain was described when the incision was made.

Tentacle was left unrestrained for now. I’d like to see it develop further. Upon any sign of disobedience or particularly intense behavior, it will be restrained in the same manner as Reaper’s... albeit with an outer shell of Anti-sensei material. 

I am excited to see how this process continues.

* * *

Aguri is having trouble sleeping.

It’s probably because it’s pretty much all she can do… she’s  _ overslept _ too much, more or less, but she thinks there’s an element of unease to it, too. Even when she closes her eyes and attempts to shut the world out she can feel her tentacle writhing… it’s a constant, unwelcome reminder of the situation she’s in, and even when she  _ does  _ manage to fall asleep Yanagisawa more often than not gives her a rude awakening.

He’s watching her constantly now… taking notes and whispering under his breath. Aguri tries to take notes, too, as her limbs twitch and tiny bumps surface on her arm… if only to keep herself sharp.

The tentacle’s healed by now. It took less than a day for it to return to it’s previous length after Yanagisawa touched it with his ‘Anti-sensei’ material. She thinks it may be growing, but there’s no telling for certain without a way of measuring it.

She wonders, perhaps, if it developed on her right arm due to that being the usual site of injection. Not only does the skin around the area appear slightly discolored, but it’s dangerously close to where Yanagisawa was prodding her before… to the point where he’s even had to move where he’s sticking the needle.

Her hand is still looking bad. It hasn’t healed like the tentacle did. It’s hard to get a completely good look at it over the restraint,… but when she touches her palms with her fingers there’s an indent… and her index finger feels short, plus cold to the touch.

She focuses on flexing it. She’s not sure it’ll help much… but at least it’ll keep the blood flowing. And besides, she needs  _ something  _ to do.

When she’s not taking notes on her body or failing to sleep she’s attempting to get control of the tentacle. It might be confusing at best and frightening at worst, but it’s still a part of her… and if she doesn’t want to be consumed by whatever it is that’s taking her over, she’ll have to take control of  _ it,  _ first.

It comes surprisingly naturally to her. It still moves on its own sometimes, but when she really focuses on it she can manage to maneuver it. It’s strange… staring up at the unwelcome limb and feeling it move as naturally as the muscles in her own two arms.

She doesn’t get time to experiment with it long. Other, smaller tentacles start to blossom around it, and lower lip twitching, Yanagisawa decides to restrain her whole right arm.

The metal casing is cold to the touch and horribly claustrophobic. Aguri can feel the tentacle inside… pressed up against her arm. It writhes and contorts, just as uncomfortable as she is.

She watches her left arm continue to twitch.

She wonders how long it is before all of her body is in this state.

As always, she remembers The Reaper. He’d looked so helpless when Yanagisawa had constrained him in this same way. But at least he’d been allowed to stand  _ sometimes.  _ He’d been able to get up…! To  _ talk to her- _

She wonders if it’s wrong to be jealous.

He probably suffered, too. He’s probably suffering now. She wonders if he’s still thinking about her or if he’s already moved on. 

Yanagisawa mentioned ‘Anti-sensei material.’ He wouldn’t have called his strange invention that if Reaper wasn’t teaching, would he? On one hand Aguri finds it hard to believe… that he’d say  _ anything  _ not just to mess with her, but then she remembers that it’d been just the two of them when she’d ‘died.’ Her and Reaper. Yanagisawa hadn’t overheard what she’d asked of him.

_ ‘Become a teacher. Look out for those kids.’ _

That was between the two of them.  **_That was theirs._ **

...He has to be. She won’t believe anything else. He’s out there… and he’s happy, and he’s teaching. If she couldn’t believe at least that she’d lose her mind. 

Another tentacle grows from her left shoulder. She presses it up to her face and pretends, just for a second, that they’re still in that moment. He’s cupping her cheek and he’s telling her that she’s going to be okay and he’s telling her that he loves her.

...He’s telling her she can make it through the year.

Yanagisawa watches her with disgust.

He doesn’t wait for her to grow any more to restrain her left arm... simply encases it and gives her a smile. He says it’s for his safety, but Aguri’s got a feeling it’s not just that. It’s about human touch, too.

(Human touch.  **She can’t even have** **_that_ ** **.)**

They place the IVs beneath her restraints. Administer Antimatter to her through them, too, when need be.

Maybe a few days after her left arm is restrained others return to the lab. It’s hard to get a good look at them; the glass is thick and she has to twist her neck sideways, but she’s certain they’re scientists. These aren’t construction workers,  _ no...  _ these are people who feel just like she felt…  _ people working under Yanagisawa.  _ She tries to say hello to them as they scrawl notes, but she’s mostly ignored.

_ “Hey. Are you new here? Hey?” _

She doesn’t recognize most of them… they’re fresh faces. She supposes that means it’s true, then: that Reaper really killed almost everybody, but she tries not to think about it for too long. Who… who cares if they were victims, too? Who… cares if they probably didn’t wanna work here? Who… cares what their funerals were like?

(...Who cares what her own funeral was like, either?)

Eventually she sees a coworker she does recognize. It’s not someone she knows well… but she’s seen him around the lab. She calls out to him, ecstatic.

“Miyahara!” she cries, voice weak, yet joyous. “You’re _ okay!” _

He flinches, but doesn’t look up. Instead, eyes glued firmly to his tablet, he taps away at the screen.

“You have no idea how worried I was about you. About everyone,” Aguri continues, voice cracking. “Is… is anyone else alive?”

Miyahara still doesn’t speak… simply stands there, lip twitching, as he motions to turn away.

“Wait!” Aguri cries.  _ “...Wait.  _ You don’t need to help me.” She pauses, voice wavering. “...I’m not going to ask for help. And so don’t worry about that. I just want to talk.” Suddenly she’s blinking back tears. “Can we do that? Talk? I’ve been really lonely here.”

“Listen,” her old coworker says, almost too quiet to hear. “I’d love to indulge you, but do you really think I’ve got time for this?”

His gaze shoots up towards her.

“The boss is going to be  _ pissed  _ if I humor you. And  _ yes,  _ that means even talk to you. He gave us  _ specific orders  _ not to do that.” He scratches at his shoulder. “I’m not keen on ending up in your situation next. And besides…” He pauses. “This is kind of your fault.”

“I…-” Aguri’s voice catches in her throat. “You mean…” Her eyes flit down towards the ground. “This- _ this?  _ You think this is my fault?”

She can hardly even believe it.

“Yes, this-this. This  _ everything,”  _ Miyahara replies, motioning around the room. “You’re the one who told the subject we were going to kill him, yeah? That he was going to blow up?” His expression twists. “Why did you  _ do  _ that? If you’d just let us kill him we’d be in the clear.”

“It was  _ wrong,”  _ Aguri replies.

“And telling him about it  _ wasn’t?  _ Half of our coworkers are dead, Yukimura.”

Aguri falters. “I didn’t think… I didn’t think that he’d actually-”

“You knew he was a serial killer. We  _ all  _ knew he was a serial killer. But you prioritized his safety over ours. And so no, I’m not okay.” 

Miyahara reaches up to point at two spots on his body… one on his neck, and the other on his left shoulder.

“I was impaled here and here when he was performing his little escape,” he says. “His tentacles ripped through my body. The first hit was  _ millimeters  _ from my spine and simultaneously paralyzing me for life. The other tore my arm from its socket. The wound went straight down to bone. _ I’m one of the  _ **_lucky_ ** _ ones.”  _ He glares. “Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

“I… I…-” Aguri drifts off. “I didn’t mean t...- I wasn’t…-  _ he was just so nice to me.” _

She doesn’t even want to believe it. But she sees the scars on Miyahara’s neck and knows he’s telling the truth. He gives her a snide look.

“Good for you,” he says, thoroughly unamused. “But he  _ wasn’t  _ very nice to us. And so don’t expect us to go showing compassion for you.”

The images are flashing in her mind again… of Reaper slaughtering people. They’re horrible screams- bright red blood and the smell of flesh and smoke. She remembers how scared she’d been--  _ how she hadn’t wanted any of this to happen.  _ She’d  _ known  _ that wasn’t really him… that he was just lashing out! But all the same, there had to have been  _ some  _ way she could have handled this better---  _ some  _ way she could prevent him from going down this dark path.  _ What is it she should have tried. _

Miyahara’s turning away. He’s turning away from her and any empathy for her and helping her get out of here or even keeping her company. He’s going to go away forever… just like everyone else at this godforsaken lab!

**_“WAIT!”_ ** Aguri shrieks. “I know I messed up… I know I got all those people hurt... but please don’t leave me alone.” She struggles for breath, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I can’t handle it.  _ I’ve had no-one to talk to for so long.  _ You don’t have to forgive me… you don’t even have to like me. Just… just acknowledge me. For a little bit. Please. You don’t even have to talk to me!  **_Just-!”_ **

“I’m talking to you right now!” Miyahara snaps. “And I  _ shouldn’t be.  _ No, I can’t ‘keep you company.’ I’m sorry.” His shoulders lower. “...I’ve got medical bills to pay and a family to care for. Whether I feel bad for you or not, I’ve got to keep my head down. We can’t all live like you do.” He grimaces. “Reckless… ‘listening to my heart.’ If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have to worry about half of this stuff in the first place.”

“Goodbye, Yukimura. From here on out I just intend to do my job.”

Miyahara doesn’t talk to Aguri any further. Though to his credit, Aguri hardly even tries.

She notices the rest of her remaining coworkers behaving much the same: staring at her with cold eyes, walking by with splints or canes.

They don’t… they don’t really think this is  _ all  _ her fault, do they? She made a few mistakes, sure…! But…-

**_She didn’t kill those people, did she?_ **

But even as she says so, her tentacles writhe beneath her restraints.

Aguri tries to appeal to another coworker… remind her that they were all mistreated under Yanagisawa: that any one of them could be next! But she hardly seems phased. In fact… she simply gives Aguri a curious look and asks “Are you kidding me?”

“The work environment is strangely peaceful now that you’re gone. He’s getting  _ better.  _ I won’t deny that he was scary before, but… maybe you were the one ticking him off or. well, I don’t know.” she shrugs. “But he doesn’t hit us around anymore. Not even a little. He seems strangely focused on something. Honed in, you know?” 

That something is Aguri. It  _ has  _ to be. He’s taking his anger out on her, even when he’s not on anyone else. He’s  _ experimenting  _ on her… sneering the whole time… rambling madly to her. Some days he even comes in  **_just_ ** _ to hit her! _

**_“They don’t know what they’re fucking doing!”_ ** he snarls one evening as he storms into the room and walks over just to slap her. “‘Japanese government’ my ass! If they had one-fourth of the power they claim to they’d  **_have this under control by now._ ** But instead they’re  _ cooperating  _ with him? The  _ monster!? _ How stupid do you have to be!?”

He doesn’t wait for Aguri to respond. Instead, in a falsetto tone, he repeats “‘Ooooh, we’re working on a plan.’ ‘We’ll have an assassination ready soon.’  **_Like hell you will._ ** _ You’re not even trying!  _ **_You don’t even know what you’re dealing with!”_ **

He hunches over, bringing his face close to hers.

“But I do. **_Ooooooh..._** I do.” He continues. “I’ve seen it’s power firsthand. I know what it can do. And only _I_ know how to defeat it.” He pauses, breathing heavy. “I’m reverse-engineering it. I’m studying it. I’m…-” He drifts off. “Maybe this is for the best. Maybe I deserve to be the one to defeat it, anyways. Who **_cares_** if the government doesn’t know what it’s doing? **_I’ll_** put it in his place!”

He whips around. Whispers to himself.

“Yes. Yes. It’s perfect. Their stupidity benefits me. It’s fine.  _ I’m fine.” _

...He’s trembling as he speaks.

And so yeah, despite whatever it is that her coworkers say, it seems Yanagisawa is as manic as ever.

Aguri'd almost feel bad for him if he weren't... y'know: keeping her here. He's clearly mentally unwell. But she's too afraid to possibly suggest he get help.

He only seems to actually notice her a few seconds later. He may have come in to hit her, but there were ‘much more important things’ on his mind. When he finally processes that there’s another person here in the room with him he straightens up… takes deep breaths and runs his fingers through his hair.

“Not that any of that should matter to you, of course,” he murmurs. “You’re simply my newest guinea pig. None of this is of your concern.” He pauses. “Forget I ever said anything.”

Aguri most certainly won’t, but she doesn’t tell him that. Instead, she simply shuts her eyes and  _ thinks _ as he administers her next dosage.

‘Government… huh?’ she muses. ‘Oh man, Mister Reaper. What have you gotten yourself  _ into?’ _

She hopes that he’s staying safe... and that he’s keeping the kids safe, too. She doesn’t know what she’d do if anything happened to either of them. But she’s sure he’s on it. He  _ did  _ promise to her, after all.

And hey, if anything  _ had  _ happened to her students she’s sure Yanagisawa would have already told her about it. They’re fine… they’re going to be fine. And Reaper’s going to be fine, too. They’re  _ together. _

...She just wishes she could see them.

She considers asking her coworkers if they have any idea what her old class is up to, but soon decides against it. What’s the point? All she’s doing is making this harder on them. They’re not going to dislike her any less if she  _ bothers  _ them. And besides… not only are they still giving her a strict silent treatment, but they’re coming within hearing range less and less. Yanagisawa must have noticed she was trying to get through to them.

...Does he want  _ himself  _ to be the only person she can talk to?

She resents the thought. She won’t…- she won’t come to him for help. She doesn’t want to risk trusting him again! But all the same, the loneliness eats at her. And one afternoon she dares to venture a question.

“Have… they had my funeral yet?”

It’s a dreary question, but one her mind keeps wandering back to. She has to have been in here for at least a month.  _ Surely  _ they’ve buried her. At least… metaphorically. They probably didn’t find a body.

Yanagisawa raises an eyebrow. Quite frankly Aguri’s not even sure he’ll respond… some days he doesn’t talk to her at all. But today must be one of those rambly days, because he looks up from his notes and says “Of course.”

Aguri’s shocked. Staring up at him, she asks “Really?”

“It was a small thing. Closed casket,” he clarifies. “None of your coworkers or those… little children. Simply I, your father, and your sister.” He pauses, tsking. “I’d describe it as uneventful. Your sister didn’t even cry.”

Now Aguri doubts  _ that,  _ but all the same… it eats at her. Akari and her were close, right? She’d definitely miss her.

Maybe that’s worse. She doesn’t want Akari to  _ hurt.  _ She just wants to… be remembered.

Christ, what sort of sister  _ is  _ she? Wishing  _ sadness  _ on someone she loves? There has to be something seriously wrong with her. And it’s not like being ‘remembered’ will change anything, anyways. She’s still dead to the eyes of the world… and she still put her baby sister through that.

Whether Akari cried or not, she wishes she could just reach out to her… place a hand on her shoulder and tell her ‘I’m okay.’ She’s not, really. But the last thing she’d want to do is cause her grief.

As for the rest of the attendees… that checks out. She’s surprised Dad made it, but she has a feeling he didn’t cry, either. Sometimes she feels like she hasn’t seen him cry since Mom died. And it’s not like she was anything like Mom. If anything, she was always kind of the disappointment of the family.

(...Someone to  _ sell away. _ )

Then as for her coworkers and students… well, the former group hates her, and the latter kind of did, too. She still remembers the way they talked about her, even when she believed in them up until the very end.

_ “Get out of here already, won’t you? You’re a failure… like us. It’s time to stop pretending.” _

They… weren’t her biggest fans.

Now that she thinks about it, no-one was.  _ No-one really liked her,  _ did they? Yanagisawa treated her like crap, and she wasn’t exactly the best big sister or eldest daughter to her family. She was a failure of a teacher, and it’s not like she ever had any friends outside of Reaper. She was…-

A ghost. She was already living like a ghost, even long before she ‘died.’

She remembers why Yanagisawa chose Reaper to experiment on. It wasn’t just about him being a dangerous criminal… it was about whether or not he risked being held accountable. He picked someone he was so certain no-one else would miss: an undocumented, unloved person without so much as even a birthday or a name.

Is Aguri the same?

She’s not certain. But as the mutations continue… and as she rubs her fingers together in her restraints, noting that the texture is weird, her mind wanders back to the mental image of that tiny funeral again and again.

(...Akari doesn’t cry.)

Another week passes… or maybe it’s just another few days. Yanagisawa notes that her whole right arm’s gone discolored; says he’s got cameras in the restraints. He watches, curiously, as small tentacles sprout from her whole body… cover her arms and rise from her wound.

Aguri feels a pain in her abdomen and throat.

She’s getting headaches. She's not sure whether they’re from sleep deprivation or stress. Her fingers… her legs… her whole body twitch. And suddenly- abruptly, Aguri starts to cough.

Yanagisawa cocks an eyebrow, then does X-rays. He listens to her lungs... stares down at his tablet and nods.

“Ah yes…  _ yes.  _ It’s as I expected. You’re not sick… nor is there infection.” 

“What is it, then?” Aguri asks, staring up at him with quiet eyes.

“You’ll… see in time.”

The discoloration spreads. And as Aguri continues to cough it creeps up her neck and chest.

The second time Aguri has a revelation that she’s not missed it’s a conversation she doesn’t prompt. Yanagisawa turns towards her one day, and incredulous in tone, he says:

“You know… no-one is looking for you. Not even Reaper.”

Aguri stares at him, blank.

“I know. It surprised me, too,” he continues. “But I suppose it checks out. You  _ were  _ a tool to him, after all.”

“...No-one knows I’m alive,” Aguri responds. “What reason would they have to look?”

“I suppose you’re right,” Yanagisawa admits. “But the circumstances behind your death were still most suspicious. You think he’d at least have looked.”

“Not without putting himself in danger,” Aguri insists.

“Why? Because you’re not worth being put in danger for?”

Yanagisawa lets out a faint chuckle… reaches for a scalpel and smiles.

Aguri doesn’t bother to argue.

“Anyways… I suppose what I’m trying to say is that you’re going to stay here. It’s not like you need another reminder that you’re worthless and unmissed. No… I’m reminding you that no-one is coming to rescue you."

‘You think I don’t know that?’ Aguri muses. ‘If someone was coming for me they would have done so by now. _I’ve accepted that.’_

“Which means you’re not getting rescued at all. After all, it’s not like someone like  _ you  _ could ever stand up for yourself. Not when you know you  _ deserve it.” _

Aguri’s lip quivers, but she tries her best to zone him out. What’s the point? It’s just going to make her feel bad about herself. And it’s not like ignoring Yanagisawa can make things much worse. What’s he gonna do? Hit her? Stick her with Antimatter? She’s used to it.

(Why is he so  **_right?_ ** Why does she just sit down and take it? What is  _ wrong  _ with her?)

“If I can let you in on a little secret,” Yanagisawa continues. “I’m hoping I can still get some use out of someone even as pathetic as you, though. You may be meek now, but isolation does things to people. One of these days you’ve got to snap. And I’m no psychologist… but maybe you’ll start to see things. Maybe you’ll start to  **_forget.”_ **

“That’s when this will have some real payoff. The data I’m getting from you is interesting, but it’s far too close to what I learned from The Reaper to have any real worth. It’s the  _ psychological  _ aspect of this experiment that’s starting to fascinate me much more. The tentacles do  _ incomprehensible  _ things to the human mind… you saw how Reaper behaved near the end there... and I’m most interested in seeing how they will warp you.  **_You could become the ultimate weapon.”_ **

Aguri’s blood runs cold.

“Think about it: obedient… meek… spineless… but  **_out of her mind?_ ** I could use you to do  **_anything!_ ** And you’d be none the wiser. I could even use you to kill The Reaper.”

“And so you  _ are  _ utilizing me-” Aguri tries to insist.

“Not under your agreement, Yuikimura,” Yanagisawa hisses, brushing his hand past her cheek. “Months from now…  _ years  _ from now…  **_decades._ ** There will be nothing of you left. And I, for one, cannot be more excited for you to  _ break." _

_‘Decades.’_ The phrase sends a shiver down her spine. _No._ She **_refuses_** to believe she’ll be in here that long. Reaper was projected to destroy the planet long before then! She’ll…- she’ll…

Be dead by then. Is that suddenly a better possibility?  **_Would she rather be dead than alive?_ **

She’s not certain… but Yanagisawa’s words frighten her. And as he stares at her with a predatory gaze, she feels a shiver run down her spine.

“Of course… this could all be simple spitballing,” Yanagisawa admits. “Who knows? Maybe none of that is possible… and it certainly still wouldn’t make up for having an insufficient wife. But a man’s gotta dream, doesn't he? Otherwise he’ll go insane. One of us’s got to keep a head on our shoulders. We’ve still got a monster to take down, after all.”

He sits up.

“...Now where was I? It appears I got distracted. Ah… right: I wanted to investigate the changes to the chest muscles. Let’s get to it.” 

He makes an incision into the right side of her upper chest… but Aguri hardly notices. As he ‘hmms,’ ‘haahs,’ administers Antimatter and otherwise takes notes, she simply stares up at the ceiling. After all… his words hurt more than this scalpel ever could.

She wants to believe he’s wrong… that she’s not going to completely lose herself here, but it’s hard. She already caught herself just  **_wanting to die._ ** What’s wrong with her? Is she someone who will give up  _ that  _ easily?

She supposes she’s always known, but it’s still scary. If she has so little will to live how could she ever be expected to keep herself together? He’s not  _ wrong  _ when he says she’s a weak-willed person.

Briefly, she wants to believe that  _ he’s  _ the crazy one here. It's an inane thought; a desperate 'no you,' but something she humors nevertheless. He  _ has  _ been erratic, after all. But no matter how much she tries to dwell on it she knows that he’s undeniably right in saying that something is shattering in her psyche. Who  _ cares  _ if he’s been erratic lately? That doesn’t put  _ her  _ in any less danger.

(If anything it makes things  **_worse!_ ** )

Like okay,  _ yeah…  _ he’s been inconsistent with his motivations… but so what? It’s not like it actually even means anything. Whether he wants to hurt her or make her go crazy or something else he’s still the one in control of her. And that means she’s at a complete risk of losing it.

For-  _ for Christ’s sake…-  _ she just described one of his potential goals as ‘something else.’  **_Can she not even remember every thing he’s said to her?_ ** _ He’s been her only form of human contact for the past however many months!  _ If she can’t remember that, _ then- _

Oh god.  _ Oh god.  _ **_Oh god._ **

She’s going to throw up. She’s coughing something terribly and she can’t even breathe. Yanagisawa smirks at her as he hacks open her body and Aguri feels lightheaded… wants to cry. He knows he’s got to her! He  _ knows  _ he’s going to win. He  **_knows_ ** he can use her however he wants… that he can torture her, drive her insane, and use her to kill The Reaper!  **_What is she going to do!?_ **

She can’t just take this! She can’t! What if… what if he uses her to hurt other people?  **_What if he takes complete delight in it!?_ ** _ He could force her to hurt her sister!  _

(Akari.  _ Akari, Akari, Akari.) _

A terrifying thought, and a brief moment of respite all at once.

...No. No matter what Yanagisawa does to her she’s sure of it: she won’t forget her sister’s face; her name.  **_She won’t let him take that from her._ ** She just has to stay strong. She’ll prove she’s not meek. She’ll… come up with a plan. If not for herself, then for her baby sister.

Aguri starts to draft a manta the minute he’s gone. She’d start sooner… but she’s too scared he’ll manage to read her mind, somehow, if he’s not. She waits until he closes the door… stares at it for a long moment… and then starts to repeat,  _ again and again and again: _

‘My name is Aguri Yukimura. I’m 25 years old and I live on Takochou Street. I teach at Kunugigaoka Junior High. I have a beautiful baby sister named Akari Yukimura and two parents named Ayumi and Haruo. My mom is deceased, but my dad is alive and well. He runs Yukimura pharmaceuticals. My best friend was named Reaper, and he went through the exact same thing I am going through now. He managed to come out of it alive… and I will _never_ hurt him. I am being kept here against my will by my ex-fiance… but I will not break, and I will **_not_** forget.

I’m loved. I’m loved. I’m loved. I won’t forget that… that I’m loved… please. I’ll do anything’

It comes out as more of a plea than a mantra, but it’s  _ something.  _ And Aguri tries her  **_damndest_ ** to burn it into her mind.

_ ‘My name is Aguri Yukimura. I’m 25 years old and I…-’ _

She’s still repeating it incessantly when she starts to cough up blood.

Now  _ that  _ takes her by surprise. Sure… she’d seen something similar happen to The Reaper, but when she lets out another dry cough and sees red fly through the air she’s shocked. Isn’t it too soon for this kind of thing?

‘Too soon,’ she repeats, rolling her eyes and leaning back against the operating table. Who is she kidding? Of course it’s not  _ too soon.  _ She doesn’t even know how long she’s been here!

At the very least her throat feels strangely relieved now that she’s managed to cough it up. Given respite from the horrible hacking fits for just one minute, she lets out a sputtery breath and waits for Yanagisawa to inevitably make his appearance.

“Internal bleeding,” he says as he cracks open the door. “Good. I was waiting to see this.”

She doesn’t look his way, but he obviously continues to explain.

“Don’t worry. You won’t  _ die.  _ This isn’t exactly a normal injury.” He’s getting out the X-ray, dragging it over her way. “The transformation is simply starting to head inwards. Any organs you no longer need will be disposed of. Most of them should exit without issue, like this… although I do expect a few to give us a bit more trouble. Those are the ones I’ll have to be monitoring you closely for.”

“Yes… yes. I thought so,” he muses as he wheels the X-ray in circles around her. “Things are going as projected.”

He doesn’t bother to tell her what body part she just threw up.  _ Of course he doesn’t.  _ Instead, he leaves her to wonder there on her own.

She tries to focus on what hurts… but then again everything does. Did she just projectile vomit her stomach lining? Her liver? The back of her throat? She doesn’t know! It all hurts the same. And it’s not like she’s in control of it, anyways.

It’s really scary: not knowing what’s going on with her body. She tries to remember what notes she’d taken on Reaper back then… but it’s foggy now. It’s been a long time, and she has more important things to focus on.

...She’s in the dark here.

She wonders if he felt violated, too. Not just in pain, but… fundamentally shaken. Of course she’d always pitied him, but she still remembers saying his tentacles were trying to get across his true emotions. She hopes that wasn’t making light of a horrible situation. She just… wanted to give him the ability to see on the bright side. She… she wasn’t saying it was good this happened to him, was she?

_...No. _

Something very bad happened to him. And something very bad is happening to her right now. Something painful… and frightening, and irreversible. Because making it out of here with her  _ sanity  _ is the only goal left. She’s not going to make it out of here with her organs… or her humanity… or her own self-image.  _ This  _ is all she has left.

‘My name is Aguri Yukimura. I’m 25 years old and I live on... Takochou Street. I teach at - um… I’m a middle school teacher, and I have a beautiful baby sister named Akari Yukimura. My parents are…- my mom is deceased, but my dad is alive and well. He runs Yukimura pharmaceuticals. My best friend was named... Reaper, and he went through the exact same horrible thing I am going through now. He managed to come out of it alive… and I will never hurt him. I am being kept here against my will by my ex-fiance… but… um…-

I’m not going to give up, okay?  _ I’m  _ **_not.’_ **

(At the very least she knows she still has her heart. Undeniably, and deafeningly loud, it pounds in the back of her chest.)

* * *

Aguri sees a boy in the lab one day. It takes her by surprise. It’s not like anything else she’s seen here. She opens her mouth to speak, but Yanagisawa ushers him off before she can. 

She’s left staring at the spot he’d been only moments before.

...He had the most frightening yellow eyes.

* * *

When she’s not focusing on repeating her mantra Aguri tries to remember faces. They’re hazy now: The Reaper… Akari, but if she squints she can still make them out. Moments are much easier to remember than still photos.

_ “You can’t do this!” Akari cries. “You can’t just go and live with him!” _

_ “We’re to be married,” Aguri repeats firmly. “I don’t have much choice.” _

_ “But then I’ll…-” Akari pauses, looking guilty. “I mean...- you…- we’ll be all alone. We won’t be able to look out for each other.” _

_ “That’s not true,” Aguri responds, scooting in closer. “I’ll still make sure to visit. You’re the most important thing to me after all, aren’t you?” She brushes a strand of hair from Akari’s face. “And neither of us will be alone. You’ll have Dad and I’ll have Kotaro. We’re not saying goodbye to each other. Things are just… changing.” _

_ “What if he… hurts you?” _

_ “He’s not going to hurt me. He’s a perfectly fi-” _

_ “He’s  _ **_creepy!”_ ** _ Akari flinches. “...I don’t know, Nee-chan. He just gives me weird vibes. I don’t trust him. And I don’t like how he blackmailed dad, either.” _

_ “He didn’t blackmail Dad,” Aguri says. “He just…-” she shakes her head. “This was my decision, okay? I’m choosing to do this. No-one blackmailed anyone.” _

_ Akari huffs. “Still doesn’t make him any less creepy.” _

_ “Some people are,” Aguri admits. “But that doesn’t make him bad. He’s got a good heart down there. I’ve just gotta find it.” _

_ “...Promise? That you won’t let him hurt you?” _

_ “Of course not. I’ve still got a sister to look out for, after all… don’t I?” _

_ “Mmm,” Akari replies, giving a tiny nod. “...Good,” she says with a sniffle. “...I need you.” _

_ “And I need you too. Don’t worry… Nee-chan’s right here.” _

_ She pats Akari gently on the back. Akari leans in to hug her, pressing her face to her shoulder. Aguri can’t see what sort of face she’s making, but tears trail down her cheeks. _

That’s okay… Aguri doesn’t need to remember her face... not exactly. She remembers compassionate kind eyes- beady little tears- and those words: “I need you.”

_ ‘Nee-chan’s right here,’ _ she thinks. **_‘Nee-chan’s right here.’_ **

Suddenly tears are trailing down her own cheeks.

‘My name is Aguri Yukimura. I’m 25 years old and I live on Takochou Street. I’m a Junior High teacher and I have a beautiful baby sister named Akari Yukimura. My mom is deceased, but my dad is alive and well. He runs Yukimura pharmaceuticals. My best friend was named Reaper, and he went through the exact same thing I am going through now. He managed to come out of it alive… and… so will I. I’ve got someone depending on me, and I will never forget that.’

‘I’m loved. I’m loved. I’m loved. I won’t forget that. My baby sister and my best friend… they love me.’

As she drifts off into sleep she thinks of the Reaper’s face, too, for strength. She remembers how he looked near the end there: writhing and out of control. But somehow… he was still beautiful. And somehow he still managed to take back his life.

She wants to memorize every crevice of his body... because she wants to make it out of here, like he did. She wants to  _ be  _ just like he was, and she wants to remember him… because-

Well, because she needs to. And because others have always given her the power to stay strong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know... I obviously didn't project to have this one uploaded on the day after election day (I wrote it like two months ago), but I'm still weirdly thankful I decided to end this one on a "high" note.
> 
> Obviously things won't stay optimistic. There are two chapters left of This arc... but all the same-- even if it won't last-- I think Aguri deserves a little bit of brightness right now, and so do we.
> 
> As for the content of the rest of the chapter, the lab reports near the start were interesting to write. As you can see they're a summary of everything that happened last chapter. I wanted to include them both as a recap, as further exposition (since Aguri is so in the dark), and an element of horror. There's not TOO much stuff included in this set, but these will be in the start of the remaining chapters, and will contain a few interesting tidbits if you really pay attention.
> 
> Speaking of lab stuff: the coworkers! That scene was fucked up, huh? I wanted to emphasize this sort of bitter feeling all around her and Yanagisawa using his power to pit people who used to be victims alongside her against her. They're obviously taking a super shitty stance, but I still wanted to portray those people as human. Their perspective comes from a place of legitimate hurt/a grudge they see as justified... and it's interesting to get into that, even if Aguri in no way actually deserves this. They're blaming the wrong person. It's Yanagisawa, and to a lesser extent, Korosensei, who deserve to take the accountability for THAT.
> 
> I had 'fun' touching on the stuff with Akari and the funeral imagery. Aguri is internalizing a lot of guilt in regards to her sister. She feels like she really, really, failed her, and that will be coming up again. It's building up a lot. :(
> 
> Itona made a brief appearance. It wasn't much, but I hope my boy knows I love him. :)
> 
> And then... finally, the mantra! This will be appearing a few times more throughout the last two chapters of this arc and even in chapters after it, so commit it to memory. How it changes, and what Aguri chooses to emphasize are an interesting snapshot into her psyche.
> 
> I didn't use a ton of songs to write this chapter. It was mostly just Medicine by Daughter, Help, I'm Alive by Metric, and Left Behind from Spring Awakening.
> 
> As usual, the next chapter will be up next week. Hope you're looking forward to it!
> 
> In the meantime... US readers, make sure to keep fighting against things like voter suppression, and make your voice heard. Non-US readers, sorry to subject you to even more of this nonsense. But it's really scaring me, and I figured I'd feel bad if I didn't at least say SOMETHING.
> 
> Shitshow of politics aside, however, there's this shitshow of fictional clownery to focus on. As always: I hope you enjoyed. Make sure to let me know what you thought, and see you soon!


	4. In The Dark Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for the usual triggers (Medical malpractice, emotional and physical abuse, human experimentation) as well as choking, suicidal behavior, eye horror, misgendering, and a brief mention of overdosing. 
> 
> I'd consider this the darkest chapter of this 'arc' and also of this fic as a whole (My beta reader described it as shoving his head into a room full of tigers), so... yeah. As always, tread carefully, and I hope you enjoy!

4 April 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

The subject’s tentacle healed quickly. Not only has it returned to its former length in less than a day, but it’s _grown,_ even. Other tentacles appear to be developing. Tiny bumps litter the skin. Injection site has had to be moved to prevent interference from the rapidly mutating arm.

Hand has not displayed the same amount of resilience. It still retains the injury from the Anti-sensei material.

\---

5 April 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject is experimenting with control of the tentacle. Keep a close watch on her.

\---

6 April 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Two more tentacles have sprouted from the upper right arm. As decided upon, it’s been restrained.

Subject will have much less freedom to test the limits of her capabilities within such parameters.

\---

11 April 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

...For safety purposes, the other arm has been restrained.

\---

15 April 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Other scientists have returned to the lab. Read over all prior notes and make sure to follow regulations. **_DO NOT INTERACT WITH THE TEST SUBJECT. Remember: she is dangerous._ **

**\---**

16 April 2014 

_Masakazu Tamru_

Uh… the test subject tried to talk to me today, but I ignored her as instructed. I hope I’m doing this right? I’m new here. But you’re right that I really want to stay safe. I wouldn’t want anything like… er- that last incident you guys had to repeat.

Sorry if that’s rude to point out. Test subject’s vitals are normal. Her heart rate remains up.

\---

18 April 2014 

_Masahiro Miyahara_

Test subject attempted to communicate with me as well, but I shut her down as instructed.

She attempted to garner sympathy, but I didn’t let her get in my head. I know exactly what she’s capable of.

While I was sure to let her know that I wouldn’t take her bullshit, I won’t be communicating with her any further in the future.

\---

19 April 2014 

_Keiko Sakai_

Lol. Would you believe me if I told you test subject tried to make me think that I was in just as bad a situation as her? Like hell, lady! I’m not the one chained up to my neck.

If anything, I think the work atmosphere around here has been a lot _better_ lately, actually.

\---

21 April 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

It’s more than clear that the test subject won’t stop attempting to start up conversation even when ignored. Scientists are to begin working from afar. I’ll take care of the nitty-gritty of this operation myself.

After all, I wouldn’t want any of you getting _hurt._

\---

28 April 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject describes headaches and a cough. Not only that, but her whole right arm exhibits discoloration. X-rays were taken, alongside listening to her lungs... and in regards to the cough, I expect her inner organs to begin decay soon. Prepare for ejection of blood.

\---

1 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

The coughing continues. I’m certain by now it’s not a respiratory infection. The lining of her throat is peeling away, and X-Rays of the stomach display internal bleeding. 

Discoloration continues to spread up the chest and neck.

\---

6 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Had a talk with the test subject.

\---

8 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

As predicted, test subject is vomiting blood. It’s not excessive, but I expect things to worsen in the upcoming weeks. Keep a close eye on her in case of potential choking.

\---

10 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject number 4 has been brought into the lab. In case the plans with 2 fall through, he should make for a wonderful backup.

**Commence Operation Tentacle Cell.**

\---

Aguri is trying to stay strong.

It’s hard… some days are better than others, but she reminds herself of what she discovered last time she was feeling down: that surely, somewhere… she has _someone_ cheering her on. That has to mean _something,_ doesn’t it?

...She’s not certain. Even if it makes her feel better for a moment, she’s not sure what she can really hope for. It’s not like she can realistically see herself being broken out of here... but it’s not like she can see herself breaking out on her own, either. Not only would that put Akari in too much danger, but she’s far too weak-willed for anything of the sort. And she can’t reason with Yanagisawa… he won’t listen to her! Which brings her back to the thought that her only two options here are to die or go insane.

She won’t consider either. She simply shuts her eyes and drowns out the thought. Even if she doesn’t know what to hope for in regards to her future, that’s okay. She needs to take things one day at a time. And if she can’t hope for salvation, then…

At the very least she can hope to be remembered fondly.

She hopes Reaper and Akari are happy wherever they are. She hopes they think about her sometimes. She hopes when they do it makes them smile. 

It’s getting harder to recall their faces now. Reaper’s gaze is cloudy, and she can only make out his frightening smile. All the same, she doesn’t shy back from him... and as she watches the muscle rip beneath his skin, she feels slightly less strange about the tentacles moving within her own.

_‘What color are Akari’s eyes?’_

Aguri squints… flinches slightly, but takes a deep breath and repeats her mantra.

_‘My name is Aguri Yukimura. I’m 25 years old and I… I’m a Junior High Teacher. I miss my baby sister. Her name is Akari Yukimura and I… I love her, okay? It’s not my fault I can’t-- my mom is deceased, but that’s not my fault either. I miss her… and I miss my dad. He runs Yukimura Pharmaceuticals. That’s the reason that...- my fiance met me because of-- no. That doesn’t matter._

_I met my best friend because he was an experiment like I am right now. That’s what matters. His name was Reaper. And he loved me. At least… I think he did. And I love him too. Just like I love my sister. And… and my dad. And my students. I won’t forget that: that I love them._

_...I just wish I could see them again.’_

Sometimes she does in her dreams. With Reaper, especially. He comes to her and holds out a welcoming hand. She never believes it… not really, but it’s nice to have respite. She pretends she’s snuggling into the crook of his neck… wraps her arms around him and drifts off.

Only to wake up, still restrained, in the ice-cold lab.

Aguri won’t lose hope, though. She **_won’t._ **She just has to… to…-

Her eyes are starting to hurt.

She notices it alongside the fact that she’s vomiting once a day or so. The latter isn’t terrible minus the psychological aspect of it, but the former is starting to worry her. There are these sharp migraines cutting through her skull as a burning sensation radiates out from the back of her eyes... and although she tries to ignore it at first, the pain soon becomes too much to bear.

“Something… weird is happening,” Aguri tells Yanagisawa one day, using all her willpower just not to flinch. “My eyes… they’re- _I don’t know-”_

Her vision is blurring. She has to blink fast just to stave off the tears. That horrible throbbing sensation is stabbing at the back of her head… and she’s shivering, slightly, as she stares up at Yanagisawa from within her restraints.

She doesn’t expect him to help. He never has. But she at least hopes he’ll explain. S… show off, or whatever, and accidentally slip up to let her know what’s going on.

He doesn’t, however. He simply inspects her eyes closely and murmurs “...Interesting. I’ll keep tabs on that,” before administering her dosage and turning to walk away.

The pain worsens over the next few days… or is it just hours? Aguri’s not certain. Either way, it soon grows unfathomable. The sickening, inordinate sensation that’s wracked the rest of her body these past few months travels up to her eyes and begins to consume them. Her tentacles writhe wildly within their restraints and she lets out an unwitting whimper. Even then, however, she tries to keep up hope.

_‘...Remember your sister,’_ she thinks again and again. _‘Remember the Reaper. Remember your class.’_

Yuma Isogai. Taiga Okajima. Hinata Okano. Manami Okuda. Megu… _what?_ Wait. Wait. Go back- who’s number one? And after Megu comes… who again? It was- um- a Maehara, right… or a-...?

She can’t make out _any_ of their faces by now.

Her students… her beautiful students… who were relying on her… who she’s fought so hard for. Has she already forgotten their names?

Perhaps she deserves what she’s feeling right now.

One evening she goes blind. There’s simply a sharp pain and then… _nothing._ Her vision’s gone completely black. It’s _gone._

Yanagisawa tells her that it should be temporary… that the cells in her eyes are being burned away: replaced. That she’ll be able to see _better, perhaps_ , when they return. His words do little to console her. She _knows_ he’s a liar, and the pain is so overwhelming her whole body shakes. Before she even knows what she’s doing she starts to scream.

The pain gets worse… _worse… worseworseworseworse_ ** _,_** and there’s _nothing_ she can do to combat it. Like nothing she’s ever felt before… somehow _more excruciating_ than the rest of this combined, the Antimatter ravages her cells and digs into each crevice at the back of her mind. She weeps incoherently, begging for help… but no-one answers her, and she’s left alone in the darkness; left alone with _her mind._

She tries to cling to them: Akari, Reaper. But she can’t even make them out now. Their faces are too far away, and try as she might she can’t even fantasize. She can hardly remember what the ceiling _above her_ looks like… _how is she supposed to find the people that care about her?_

**_(Who is she kidding!? SHE’S ALONE!)_ **

‘No,’ she thinks. ‘No.’ she tries to fight it off. ‘I’m not alone. My name is Aguri Yukimura and I’m 25 years old and I’m loved-’ but it’s no use. The pain rockets through her skull and she lets out another shriek. Every thought is put to rest, and all she can focus on is the overpowering sensation.

It’s maybe a day into it that she starts to wish she’d just died.

‘No.’ she thinks at first. ‘Nononono.’ But the thought returns… again and again. **_She doesn’t want to be here and she doesn’t want to feel this and she doesn’t want to go insane!_ ** What was she _thinking?_ Being hopeful!? _Acting_ **_thankful_ ** _for having her life saved!?_ **_If she were just gone by now she wouldn’t have to deal with any of this!_ ** _She’d…_ **_she’d-_ **

**_She’d have died happy!_ **

She hates herself for even convincing herself she could stay strong here. Who… who **_cares_ ** if she has Akari or Reaper to cling to!? She’s not like them! She’s weak and pathetic and scared! And even if she weren’t, they couldn’t save her. All they were were an illusion of hope- a simple _up_ before a horrible low in her erratic mood.

_‘Oh! I want to be rescued!’ ‘Oh! I want to escape!’ ‘Oh! I just want to stay strong for the people I love!’_ She hasn’t been able to stick with **_any_ **of it… not even for a week. She’s just clinging to anything she can find. And soon enough she’ll run out of options. She’ll be alone here. She’ll…-

**_She’s never going to die._ **

She briefly tries to convince herself that’s a good thing… that Akari and Reaper and her students still need her. But then she feels the lava-hot sensation run through her veins and throws her head back with a wail. 

‘They don’t!’ she tells herself. ‘They **_don’t’_** she says again and again and again. ‘You **_know_** they don’t love you! Yanagisawa is right! And even if you remember Akari crying _once_ you also remember her getting by just fine without you! _No-one needs you, Aguri!_ And even if they did…’

You’re just not strong enough.’

_“Please,”_ she says the minute she hears him crack open the door. “Please. **_Pleasepleaseplease._ **Kotaro... is that you?”

He doesn’t answer her... simply steps closer. But she can recognize his footsteps, and as he dawns on her she lets out a sputtery, breathless sound.

_“I’m done,”_ she says. “I can’t take it anymore. I’m too tired. I-” She struggles for words. “Please. **_Just kill me already._ ** If you have **_any shred of kindness in your heart,_ ** kill me. You don’t have to let me go. You don’t even have to do it in a gentle way. Hurt me as much as you want. Just… just- _make it stop already._ **_It hurts so much.”_ **

She lets out a whimper… weeping unintelligibly. But as she waits for a response she hears none, and her whole body goes ice cold. She looks around desperately for wherever he’s standing.

“You got what you want,” she gasps. “You broke me. And so **_please…_ ** just kill me. I don’t care anymore. I’ll do anything. Give me this. _Just_ give me this. **_Please.”_ **

She lets out a ragged breath… feels another surge of electricity run up her spine. She sobs, overwhelmed, and shakes her head as she speaks.

_‘I’m sorry,’_ she thinks, still murmuring. 

“Please.”

_‘I’m sorry, Akari. I know you must think this is pathetic of me... but I can’t take it. Your older sister’s not as strong as you thought.’_

Yanagisawa’s quiet for a long moment… and when he speaks, there's a curious, agitated tone to his voice. 

“...Kill you,” he repeats. “Give me one reason I should do that.”

Aguri’s limbs lock. This is exactly what she was afraid of… but every inch of her is screaming for relief, and she knows this is the one thing she can’t give up on. **_Not when she’s never wanted anything more--_ **

“You… you--” she stumbles over her words. “Th- _think_ about it! You can use it as an opportunity to see how Antimatter in the body reacts after death. You can make sure the planet won’t explode when you- _when you take care of Reaper._ **_You’ll be revered as a hero!”_**

“An interesting proposition,” Yanagisawa muses… before suddenly reaching out for her throat. “But that’s not what I’m **_interested_ ** in studying. _I want to make an Antimatter creature that won’t need to be disposed of at all!”_

For a split second Aguri feels relief… cherishes the fingers wrapped ‘round her neck, but as he pulls her in closer as opposed to tightening his grip she lets out a pathetic little sob and lets tears roll down her cheeks.

‘Please,’ she thinks. ‘Please. You’re so close. All you have to do is squeeze a little tighter. Hurt me. Like you always have. Pleasepleasepleaseplease.’

“You **_threw your life away, Yukimura._ ** You got killed trying to protect a _serial killer,_ and in the process you almost ruined my life as well. It was generous of me to save you! **_I think I should get to decide what I do with you now that you’re here!”_ **

**_“NO!”_ **Aguri shrieks. “No…” she drifts off. “Just… just-”

She can’t see Yanagisawa, but she can feel his breath hot on her face. His hands shake as he grasps her tight.

“Just… do it, okay? If… if you won’t get anything from it, then just… do it because you care about me. You do… right? At least a little?” She blinks slow. “Why else would-- would you have chosen me? Why else would you be keeping me here? You’re hurting me, Kotaro. And so do it. _Put me out of my misery._ This is all I’m asking from you as your fiancée. _Kill me._ You’ve taken enough from me.”

At first she’s just speaking from the heart. But as she continues she hears his breath hitch… feels his grip tighten slightly, and she knows she’s struck gold.

“It shouldn’t be hard for someone like you. Do what you’ve always done. Just hit me as hard as you can until this time I don’t get up. You’ve wanted to do it for a very long time, haven’t you?”

A piercing question. And Yanagisawa even pauses. His grip tightens for a split second. But ultimately he lets out a deep breath and releases Aguri… letting her head fall back onto the cold metal operating table.

“No,” he says. “I won’t let you manipulate me like that to get what you want, _witch.”_

And Aguri’s heart sinks.

Because if even trying to piss him off doesn’t work-- if he can _truly_ reign back his temper, then that must mean he _really_ hates her… and not a thing she can say could possibly change that.

She screams as he turns to go, but he doesn’t answer her. And even though she can’t see his face, somehow she gets the feeling that he’s smiling.

She turns to her coworkers, next… begs for them, too, to kill her. She knows she’s putting Akari in danger by doing so, but she **_just can’t take it!_ ** And she _knows_ that’s selfish, but she’s _exhausted,_ okay!? And that only makes her want to die more!

“Mayahara! Sakai! Anyone! Just _kill me!”_

“It doesn’t need to be complicated!” She shrieks. “You don’t need to get caught! Just… just overdose me on some medicine! **_No-one will even know!”_ **

“I know you’re listening! Don’t ignore me! **_You know what’s happening here is wrong!”_ **

But no-one acknowledges her. And as Aguri is left to face this on her own she begins to slam the back of her head against the operating table. Tentacles writhing… eyes watering, she tries to rip out her IV-- bite off her own tongue and choke. But nothing works; and as her screams echo throughout the empty lab she feels _despair_ overtake her.

She’s been lying all this time. _Why_ has she been trying to keep up hope? This is all she’s ever wanted... _before she even got trapped in the lab she just wanted to die!_ And now she **_never_ ** will! Because she lied to her baby sister! To her best friend! **_To herself!_ **

Aguri screams until she doesn’t have a voice left. But even then she figures out that sadness alone can’t kill a person. She’s left to live with her mistakes whether she likes it or not.

She’s still shivering… murmuring incoherently, when her vision comes back. It’s uneventful, almost. It just fades in.

...And her head continues to pound.

“Interesting,” Yanagisawa says, standing over her. “Not only has the discoloration spread a wide margin, but your sclera have gone completely black. I wonder if the iris, too, will change in time… or…-” he drifts off. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. Either way, you’ll look most gruesome.”

“Fitting,” he continues. “After all… you implied that _I_ was a bad fiance, but _you_ were the real deal-breaker in our relationship. Cheating on me… constantly calling me terrible names… thinking you were too good for me. And maybe you were. _But not anymore._ Now even _I_ wouldn’t take you. You’re hardly a woman!”

“Good on me," he says with a smirk. "Now everyone else can see exactly what I see in you… _how sick you are._ I bet you wouldn’t want to get out of here even if you could. After all: your precious Reaper would be _repulsed_ by you… and I doubt your sister would even _recognize_ you! You’d be the shame of your family… but then again, I suppose you already were.”

Aguri stares up at the ceiling. She doesn’t even make eye contact with him. It’s not like she can verify whether what he’s saying is true or not… she can’t even _see_ herself. And besides, she’s already given up. What’s the point of arguing?

“...Why are you doing this?” She asks, quiet.

“Punishing you?”

“Talking to me,” she responds. “You broke me. You won. I’ve already come to each and every one of those conclusions on my own. And so _what?_ What do you still have to take from me?”

“You’re not broken. Not yet. And even if you were, I will _never_ be done with you.”

She asks him, again, to just kill her. But once more, Yanagisawa refuses, and eyes glazed over- perhaps completely unrecognizable… Aguri weeps.

She hears him refer to her as an ‘it’ one day to one of her coworkers. It’s a minor thing bundled in with the rest of the cutthroat stuff he says about her, but somehow that sticks with her. She remembers what he said about her hardly being a woman.

Quite frankly, she hardly even feels like a _human._

She wants to remind herself that that’s ridiculous: that _Reaper_ was still human, after all… but she just can’t find the strength. She’s… not like Reaper, okay? He **_deserved_ **the empathy she gave him. But she’s just…- she’s…-

Pathetic. She’s **_pathetic,_ **and that’s all she’ll ever be.

Her coworkers pick up on the wording. She wonders if it makes this easier on them… to not have to see her as someone like them. Or maybe they’ve just realized the objective truth. She’s not certain, but either way, it stings. She’s _used_ to Yanagisawa treating her cruelly, but the _world as a whole?_

...Well, on second thought, she’s actually pretty used to that, too.

Yanagisawa is right that her sister probably wouldn’t recognize her if she saw her now. She’d be _scared,_ even. Every part of Aguri’s body convulses… and her muscles ripple like waves. Not only that, but she’s not _half_ the brave person she used to be. At least before she was willing to _stand up_ for her sister.

...Now she’s a coward who was willing to put her in danger.

As for Reaper, yeah… he’d probably be pretty disgusted, too. Sure, he went through the same sort of mutations- but that’s _different,_ okay? At least he was _attractive_ before all of this. Meanwhile _Aguri?_ God… she was mediocre.

That shines through in everything she does. After all, now she’s an unstoppable monster like him… power flows through her veins. She could destroy _everyone here_ if she wanted to, but she’s too cowardly to try even that. All she wants is to destroy herself.

She repeats her mantra again, absentmindedly. But now it’s moreso out of habit than any sort of hope.

_‘My name is Aguri Yukimura. I’m 25 years old and I was a Junior High teacher. I had a baby sister. Her name was Akari Yukimura. She loved me, even though she probably shouldn’t have… and she was- she was always looking out for me._

_I’m being kept here against my will… I mean- if I still have one, by my ex-fiance. He’s doing the same terrible thing he did to my best friend Reaper to me… and I am never going to get out of here._

_...I wish I could just die.’_

Aguri closes her eyes… feels her head pound, and stares up at the ceiling.

* * *

Aguri’s hair takes on a weird texture… waxy, almost. She can feel it clinging to the back of her neck. Her veins brush past it as they twitch… the burning sensation traveling up to her jaw and cheeks. The veins there start to twitch, too. She wonders how long it is before tentacles start bursting out of her face. Maybe she could suffocate herself before Yanagisawa managed to rush in. Wouldn’t that be nice?

...She sees the boy again. He almost resembles one of her students. He can’t be any older than fourteen- with snow-white hair and golden eyes. He glances her way, _Yanagisawa not by his side_ … and they make eye contact for a single moment.

Aguri opens her mouth, almost on instinct. And as she realizes that he’s alone- _that there’s one person she hasn’t made her plea to yet -_ she starts to shriek.

“My name is Aguri Yukimura! I’m twenty-five years old and I’m being kept here against my will by my ex-fiance! My baby sister’s name was Akari. My parents names were-uh- ah- _I worked at Kunugigaoka Junior high!_ And you’ve got to help me! **_Please…_ ** if you can hear me- **_do something._ ** Convince him to kill me-! Tell someone! **_Anyone!”_ **

She knows it’s a long-shot, but what choice does she have!? She’s _miserable!_ She’s been **_miserable for months!_ ** She speaks before even thinking it through... because sure, it might not work, but **_she’ll take any chance she can get! She’ll take ANYTHING!_ **

“Tell one of the scientists to overdose me! Y-you could, even-! I’m sure there’s a button you can press t- just do it- **_please!”_ **

She doesn’t get a chance to plea any further. There’s an abrupt banging on the glass, and a _shouting_ as Yanagisawa makes his entrance. 

**_“SHUT UP!”_ ** he shrieks. “What are you **_doing!?_ ** No-one wants to hear what you have to say! And so drop it! **_No-one is going to fucking help you!”_ **

The boy’s gaze quickly drifts from her. He looks up at Yanagisawa, unfeeling.

“Who is that?” he asks quietly.

“It doesn’t matter,” Yanagisawa says with a deep sigh as he starts to usher the boy out of the room. “She’s someone weak. You don’t need to worry about her at all in your quest for power.”

Any curiosity seems to fade from the boy’s eyes. Replaced with fire, he gives a nod. He doesn’t even bother to look back at Aguri as he makes his exit.

Yanagisawa, however… does. And his fist _shakes_ as he goes.

He gives her twice as much Antimatter that day. She kind of expects it judging by his reaction, but she still tears up as he enters the room. It’s weird because she’s used to it by now- and she still doesn’t regret what she did… she was going to suffer either way, but it must be an instinctive thing… every alarm in her brain going off- begging her to get out of there at the mere sight of him.

But she knows by now she just _can’t._ And she wishes her body would just get the memo.

“What is **_wrong_ ** with you!?” He growls, grabbing her by the collar of her patient's gown and lifting her head up from the table. “Are you seriously trying to ruin this experiment, too!? You’ve destroyed enough for me, **_woman!_ **I’m not letting you sway him!”

“I...I-” Aguri opens her mouth, desperately searching for words. But when she finds none she simply shuts her eyes and braces herself for the pain.

_“‘Ohhhhhh! You’ve broken me!’ ‘Ohhhhh! I’m so defeated!’”_ Yanagisawa chides in falsetto. “Broken my ass! You still don’t even know your place!”

Aguri shuts her eyes tighter… gnaws on her lip and shakes her head. 

“I didn’t want to ruin anything,” she whimpers. “I just wanted him to-”

“To **_what!?_ ** Kill you!? _I already said you don’t get that right!_ **_You don’t get to ask that of anyone but me!”_ **

Aguri’s eyes shoot open as Yanagisawa slams her back onto the operating table and slaps his hand upside her cheek. Then, whirling around, he reaches to grab vial after vial of Antimatter… piling them into his arms.

“I’ll show you what happens when you disrespect me… because you’re apparently still too stupid to fucking know. I’ll put you in your place. I’ll make you miserable. I’ll make you wish you **_really_ **weren’t alive.”

Aguri knows it’s not worth it to argue, but she opens her mouth anyways. Yanagisawa shoots towards her, clenched fist meeting her forehead as he lets out a growl. Aguri yelps, flinching back, but Yanagisawa doesn’t let up. 

Administering vial after vial of Antimatter he loads her full of it until he’s almost entirely out. And then… still unsatisfied even as she shrieks, he raises his foot and stomps it down against her stomach. He kicks her in the sides… across the legs, the face.

**_“I’M TIRED OF YOU TRYING TO TAKE EVERYTHING I HAVE FROM ME! YOU! ARE! USELESS! AND YOU DON’T DECIDE WHAT I DO WITH MY PROPERTY I! OWN YOU! AND IF I WANT TO KEEP YOU ALIVE, THEN YOU DON’T GET A FUCKING SAY IN IT! ‘IT HURTS SO MUCH!?’ BOO-HOO! MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE FREEING MY FIRST EXPERIMENT!”_ **

Aguri gasps for breath, but he clenches her throat. 

_‘I’m just so tired’_ she tries to say. ‘I’m sorry. I really am! But can you **_blame_** me?’ But even that doesn’t come out… and she screams incoherently as he lets out his rage.

It’s the most he hits her since she was first trapped here. And even long after he’s left… gotten all of his anger out on her, she screams late into the night. Because Antimatter flows through her veins… and as she throws up the most blood she has yet-

She knows that even something as scary as Yanagisawa’s anger can’t kill her.

* * *

_‘My name is Aguri Yukimura and I… I…-_

_...I don’t know why I’m still repeating this.’_

Aguri develops rapidly over the next few days. She’s not sure if it’s the excess Antimatter or a result of her volatile emotional state, but her body seems to shift more than ever. She’s still got a horrible headache, and when she’s not weeping she’s coughing… hacking up her lungs and spitting out blood onto the pristine laboratory floor. One day she even coughs up an organ. She just about chokes on it- and almost wishes she did… but just barely manages to get the damn thing up. She stares at it, half dissolved, and still twitching as it falls to the floor.

Yanagisawa takes it away… gives her another X-ray. They don’t bother to talk. It seems he’s still mad at her- and it’s not like she has much to say. If he won’t kill her and he won’t forgive her, then there’s not really a point.

Construction begins again. They knock down the walls and for a split second Aguri even considers escape… but then her heart sinks and she remembers there’s no such thing possible for her. It’s best she doesn’t go and get her hopes up. Whatever this is… it’s certainly not going to offer an out for her.

“Soundproof walls, apparently,” she hears one of the construction workers mention. He shoots her a pitying look, but not much more. She doesn’t ask him to kill her. “I wonder what _that’s_ about.”

“There,” Yanagiswa says, wiping his hands together proudly as he stares at the thick glass panes. _“Now_ you won’t go and bother my other test subjects. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.” He pauses. “Don’t use this to go and scheme, by the way. I’ve got cameras in here. Anything you say I’ll still be able to hear.”

‘Scheme,’ Aguri thinks, shutting her eyes. What a _joke._ If she could scheme she would have done so by now… but she doesn’t have an intelligent bone in her body.

She can catch sight of her hair hovering around her. It’s no longer made of strands… but rather congealed tentacles. She considers using them to suffocate herself, but soon decides against it. What does it matter? Yanagisawa will restrain them before she even knows it… and she sincerely doubts she even _needs_ to breathe at this point. 

She wonders if there’s anything left of her that isn’t made of tentacles.

Her whole body aches. It’s difficult to move her arms. She can’t make them out, of course... they’re still restrained… but when she tries to flex her fingers she can’t make heads or tails of where her wrist ends and her palm begins. The twitching’s subsided, mostly- now her body simply writhes- but it’s not much more of an appealing sensation.

She continues to throw up more and more over the following week. Less and less is she just vomiting blood… but rather expelling chunks of flesh and other internal organs. Her stomach’s in knots… and she’s never not in pain. Even when she tries to shut her eyes and drown out the sensation the feeling remains. Soon she gives up on even trying. She’s being destroyed from the inside out - and no amount of willful ignorance would ever be able to mask that.

Yanagisawa’s the one who mops up the blood and organs. He hates it… says it’s below him and complains the whole time, but still uses it as a prime opportunity to insult her. That, and to deprive her of any outside social interaction. God _forbid_ he send one of his underlings in here… lest they actually risk _humoring_ her.

“It’s noble of me, you know,” he boasts, sitting low to the ground. “To be willing to **_deal_ ** with you. You bitch so _much…_ and you’re horrendous to look at. I’d have to be a terrible boss to foist that responsibility onto anyone else.” 

‘A terrible boss,’ Aguri thinks, still not looking his way. It’s funny… she _remembers_ him treating everyone else terribly, but she’s starting to doubt even that. What if she’s… _wrong?_ What if it only ever really was her? It’s not like she can trust her memory much at this point.

Ha. Knowing her, she probably _was_ the problem.

She doesn’t listen to him much as he talks. Sure, he’s the only human interaction she has left… but she doesn’t even really care about that at this point. Whether she listens to him or not she’ll still feel like a living corpse. And there’s this deafening voice in the back of her mind reminding her that she doesn’t deserve companionship, anyways. So what’s the point?

She lets out a raggedy sigh and lets her head lean back… stares up at the ceiling for the thirtieth time today.

...Yanagisawa’s still referring to her as an it.

She can’t move her legs well anymore, even if she tries. It’s hard to see them, but when she glances downwards they’re alien to her. Huge, thick tentacles sprout from her torso… twitching indiscriminately and _pulsing_ with her veins. She’s pretty sure one leg’s split off into two or three appendages, and the other looks measly… kicking weakly as it’s consumed by the grey. She’s sure it’s not long now before they’ve lost their definition entirely… before she’s just a mass of writhing flesh.

She almost doesn’t _want_ to see her loved ones at this point. And it’s not just out of guilt… knowing that she doesn’t deserve them. It’s that she knows they’re probably happier thinking of her as dead. **_Anything_ ** would be better than this. At least in _their_ minds she’s resting in peace. But here?

...Well, she’s not resting at all.

It’s been such a long time since she’s seen anyone she cared about. Maybe she can’t trust her judgment of them. Maybe she’s either putting too much or too little faith in them. Either way, it doesn’t matter much, she supposes. It’s not like she’ll ever get to see them again.

She misses it more than ever: the little things. She wonders how long it’s been since she’s heard laughter… had a home-cooked meal. Now that she thinks about it, she hasn’t felt the breeze on her face since she first arrived here. It’s crazy that something she’d once taken for granted is such a pipe dream now. And to think she’d thought of herself as _unhappy._

‘Spoiled brat you were,’ she muses. ‘You didn’t know _anything.’_

‘Maybe _that’s_ why you’re here right now.’

Her eyes water, but she shakes her head. _No._ There’s no use dwelling on it. She can’t change the fact that she’s a screw up now. All she can do is live with her mistakes.

(...It’s been a really long time since she had a hug.)

Ironically, she thinks she starts to grow used to the pain eventually. She’s not sure if it’s getting less intense or if it’s just a hell she’s grown numb to, but she almost becomes capable of ignoring it. It’s the psychological aspect she truly can’t escape. No matter _how_ hard she tries… her thoughts still wander, and they claw at her like knives.

‘How low do I need to fall?’ she wonders. ‘I’ve already given up. **_What more do I need to do?_ **How do I get it to stop hurting?’

The mutations continue, but they don’t give her much of an answer.

Yanagisawa tells her she may hear a voice in her head sometime that week. He instructs her to tell it she wants _strength_ when it asks her what she truly craves. “After all, maybe if you had some of that you wouldn’t be stuck in a situation like this in the first place.”

“I don’t get how you’re comfortable in there,” she overhears a scientist murmur as he cracks open the door to let Yanagisawa out. “Aren’t you afraid? I mean… _last time you made something like this it-”_

**_“This is different,”_ **Yanagisawa interjects. “Perhaps I made… some mistakes with my last experiment. But this one?” He gives a laugh. “She wouldn’t fight back if her life depended on it.”

...She really was the perfect choice in that regard, wasn’t she? She _wants_ to argue with him- even just internally, but can’t find the strength. No, it’s true- she’s weak-willed. She hasn’t had a conviction in her life. What sort of _fight_ could she put up?

(“Tell it what you want,” Yanagisawa says. “Tell it you want **_strength.”_ **But Aguri’s pretty sure she’s never wanted anything at all.)

It comes to her maybe a few days later. She’s not particularly keeping track. She’s simply staring up at the ceiling… mind blank, when she hears it _booming_ in the back of her mind.

**_‘What do you desire?'_ **

It’s not particularly a voice. It’s something closer to an impulse… invading her brain and digging through her psyche. Try as she might to shrug it off, however, the inquiry doesn’t fade. It wanders to the forefront of her mind again and again… slightly more aggressive each time.

**_‘What do you desire?’_ ** it asks. **_‘Tell me.’_ **

Aguri almost wishes it were some sort of outside entity asking her this question. At least then she’d have a friend. But it’s not, is it? This is something coming from deep within her… primal and desperate.

**_‘What is it you desire?’_ ** It asks. **_‘What is it you’ve wanted forever?’_ **

‘I… don’t know.’

It’s a pretty pathetic answer to give herself… but what else is there she could possibly say? If she had any dreams before they’ve long since been squished.

Maybe she should just say ‘to be strong,’ like Yanagisawa wanted her to. But the thought frightens her. She doesn’t want to give him what he wants… and besides, it’s not like she could be strong even _with_ this sort of thing’s powers.

The question eats at her. While the tentacles were gentle at first it soon becomes apparent there’s no evading their question. Her mind wanders back to the thought- that ‘what do you desire?’ And as little beads of sweat drip down her forehead she realizes that having no answer at all terrifies her.

_‘What… what DO I want?’_

Some instinctual part of her needs to find it. It eats at her- _wracks her body and thoughts._ And as she starts to tremble she thinks it again and _again_ _and again._

_‘What do I…_ **_what do I...-?’_ **

Even if she’s pathetic and useless and unloved there has to be _something,_ doesn’t there!? Everyone has dreams. And if she doesn’t, then- w- well, **_what even makes her a person!?_** What is it she wanted again!? She knows she’d had it at one point. **_Has she really let Yanagisawa take that away!?_**

(Of course she has! She was scared! She was hopeless… but all the same…

**_WHAT’S WRONG WITH HER!?)_ **

T… to be loved, _maybe._ That can be her answer. Maybe she wants to be _loved._ But just as soon as she thinks it she shakes her head. No… she doesn’t deserve it. And she couldn’t be, anyways. _It has to be something else._

To die, then.

The tentacles recoil at the thought. **_‘No. No. No,’_ ** they scream. _‘That’s not it. Keep looking.’_

U… _uh…-!_

To be brave? _No!_ To be human? _What!?_ To be happy? _Not a chance._ Her whole body writhes as she mulls it over… and struggling for breath she looks around wildly. There has to be **_something._ ** Her brain fucking demands it. But what is there left of her!? What did she dream of!? **_What is it she wants again!?_ **

The… the breeze. Abruptly, she feels it on her face. She’s outside… and it’s a sunny day, and her sister is playing with chalk. It’s before she had any of this to worry about. She’s fourteen, and her sister is three… and they have their whole lives ahead of them.

Another moment she’s twenty… and she just enrolled in college. She pumps her fist, almost embarrassed, and lets out a little laugh. It’s overdramatic… she knows, but it’s such a nice night, and it’s not like she’d ever envisioned this sort of future for herself.

It’s been a long time since she felt that way… like she did playing with her sister or mapping out her dreams. But if she can never have that again - _never feel the breeze on her face or hear her sister’s voice or let herself laugh…_ then what is there that tied those moments together? **_What is it she’s been missing for so long?_ **

Reaper’s sitting in the back of the observation room, one leg kicked up on the operating table and the other dangling as he stares absentmindedly at his twitching hand. They’re talking about the news or her students or some other equally inconsequential thing when he makes a snide comment. Abruptly, she starts to laugh. And taken aback, Aguri covers her mouth with her hands.

“I’m sorry,” she says, not sure for what. “I just… you-” she drifts off. “You almost sounded like a friend.”

She’s naive… and she knows she is, but even _she_ hadn’t trusted Reaper at first. She’d known he was most likely just trying to get into her head. But the first time he made her laugh like that she realized it was still the safest she’d felt in a long time. Almost like home.

...Safety.

That’s it. That’s what she hasn’t felt… what she hasn’t been able to grasp in here or even long before that. What she felt on that warm summer day, supervising her sister… putting in her application, or letting the first friend she had in a long time make her laugh.

She hasn’t been safe. After all... she’s lived in a world full of harsh words… temperamental reactions, and a lover who fucking _hated_ her. But she felt it at one point… didn’t she? And even just reflecting on it, it makes her tear up.

‘Yeah,’ she thinks. ‘That’s what I want. I just want to feel safe again.’

And all at once the tentacles stop.

**_‘To… feel safe,’_ **they repeat.

‘Yeah,’ Aguri says with a meek nod. ‘I hope that’s not too much to ask… but I haven’t gotten to feel that way a lot lately. Can you do that for me… please?’

**_‘...’_ **

The tentacles don’t respond.

That’s okay. Something tells her that’s more a question for herself, anyways. And as she lets out a raggedy sigh… craning her head back up towards the ceiling and missing that feeling desperately, her cells start to go to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, the funny thing about this authors' note in comparison to last week's is that IRL things are looking, like, a lot brighter now. A blue candidate managed to win the election. That guy from S*pernatural is rotting in super mega gayhell or whatever. For the most part, life is GOOD.
> 
> But in comparison to how last week's chapter ended? HOO BOY, Aguri's state of mind is worse than ever.
> 
> This has been coming since the beginning of writing her be captured, but her optimism's finally faded. Aguri is this strong sort of resilient person who tries to find hope in everything, but there's a point in which even she can't continue to try and be optimistic. It was super sad to write her like this, especially as her behavior morphed into outright suicidal-ism, but it was interesting, too. I feel really bad for her.
> 
> Her vision fading for a week and leaving her alone in the dark is an idea I've been toying with since the beginning of this fic, and I think the scene came out pretty cool. It displayed this real sense of helplessness. Similarly, I also REALLY like how the choking scene came out. Don't get be wrong: it's like... utterly fucked up, but it's fucked up in just the right (unsettling) amount. That, and I like the imagery involved.
> 
> It was 'cool' getting to write Aguri talking to Itona in this chapter, even just briefly. Could this be the key to her getting out? It's certainly possible eventually, but also... probably not right now. He's a little too wrapped up in his own issues to process her, sadly.
> 
> Which makes way for the last plot point of this chapter... the tentacles and their wish. The tentacles and what they do to a person have always fascinated me, and I wanted them (Even as just an instinctual voice inside of Aguri's head) to come off as creepy and intense. What Aguri ended up wishing for is quite the opposite of what Korosensei wished for, so I'm excited to show how that manifests itself.
> 
> Next week will be the last chapter of this arc, so look forward to that. After that we'll get to see some of how the actual Assclass Class is doing and maybe even have them find out about Aguri's state. Before all that, however, I hope you're looking forward to the grand finale of /this/ arc.
> 
> The songs that helped me write this chapter are more of the same. Zydrate Anatomy from Repo... Eet by Regina Spektor... Haven't I Seen This Movie from Next To Normal... Oh Ana by Mother Mother... Monster Hospital remixed by MSTRKRFT, and Escapism from Steven Universe.
> 
> Before I head off I'd like to plug my writing Discord. It was originally formed for my last fic, Adventures In Solitude (Also a good read ;D), but it's been expanded to feature discussion of all my works. If you'd like to talk about this fic or get the earliest updates on where it's going, then it's the place to be! (Plus. You know, it'd always kind of make my day to chat w people who are enjoying the story. ;) )
> 
> https://discord.gg/KjVy75z
> 
> Shameless plug aside, I hope you enjoyed... and I hope to see you next week. As always, let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon! o/


	5. Monkey's Paw Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for the usual (Abuse, especially), description of impalement, and discussion of child death.

18 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 2 describes a pain in the eyes. ~~**_(Ironic, quite frankly.)_**~~ I have a feeling I know what it is, but I won’t make any definitive conclusions until the symptoms progress. Keep close tabs on her behavior.

\---

20 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 2’s pain is worsening. She won’t admit it, but the tentacles are writhing. She whimpers in her sleep.

Progress with Subject 4 is something of a mixed result. On one hand he’s taken to the tentacles rather well… but on the other his personality has begun to deteriorate. Scans show that the tentacles consume brain matter. A simple side-effect of the difference between tentacle cells and outright antimatter, or a universal constant? I’m not yet sure.

...That would certainly explain the differences in Subject 1’s behavior.

Subject 3 continues to refuse to cooperate. _Infuriating,_ considering she stole **_OUR_ **materials.

...Whatever. I’m sure she’ll succumb in due time.

\---

22 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 2 has gone blind. It’s as I expected… the cells in her eyes are being burned away and replaced with those made of Antimatter. Most interesting. I expect her to regain her vision within the next two weeks… but we'll have to see.

\---

24 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 2 continues to scream. I know we should probably install soundproof walls, but I can’t deny that it’s music to my ears.

Subject 4 requires constant upkeep. His tentacles need to be observed closely and he **_must_ ** be medicated at all times, lest they costume his brain and kill him. I believe that without proper upkeep the test subject would die within a week.

~~**THEN HOW? HOW IS SHE STILL BEARING IT?** ~~

...No issue, I suppose. I’m more than capable of taking care of Subject 4 as long as he performs his duties. He’s delirious- only talking about power and other such things- but there’s no need for him to be actually lucid for me to achieve my goals. _I’ll_ take care of the scheming. He simply needs to be a weapon.

I hope to have him battle the octopus by the end of the month.

\---

26 June 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

...Subject 2 asked me to kill her today.

Needless to say, I refused. **_DO NOT FALL FOR HER TRICKS._ **Anyone to give her what she wants will be punished intensely. Trust me when you say you do not want to test me.

\---

1 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 2’s eyesight has returned. Its sclera are now black. If observed closely you can make out bright red veins. The skin around the area, as well as the skin around its neck and chest, have greyed. Perhaps this is just personal opinion… but the mutations seem to be developing even more erratic and frighteningly than Subject 1’s.

\---

3 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 2’s hair has taken on a waxy texture. The rest of its face is changing color. I reckon it will soon be unrecognizable.

Tomorrow I intend to have Subject 4 battle with the octopus. I’ve enrolled him successfully into ‘Kunugigaoka Junior High.’ I am not sure how this will go, but I am excited to see the results.

He confided in me today about a voice he heard when I first implanted him with the tentacles. He says it asked him what he wanted to be. He answered ‘strong.’ Now **_that_ **would certainly explain the sudden shift in behavior.

Again… I wonder if this is an effect exclusive to tentacle cell transplantees, or one all Antimatter experiments are susceptible to. If so… I wonder what Subject 1 wished for, and what Subject 2 will wish for if it hasn’t already.

...I fully anticipate it to be something useless. After all, it always _has_ been weak-willed.

\---

~~ 4 July 2014  ~~

~~_Kotaro Yanagisawa_ ~~

~~HE LOST. HE FUCKING LOST. IT WASN’T EVEN A TOSS-UP. I THOUGHT THE BOY WISHED TO BE **_STRONG…_ ** BUT THAT WAS TRULY PATHETIC! ~~

\---

5 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 4 failed in his duties. He will be afforded three chances total. After that, I’m afraid I’ll have to terminate him.

...We’ll see how this goes.

\---

8 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

I believe I’m finally starting to understand the difference between tentacle cells and Antimatter… as well as their individual pros and cons.

You see… while tentacles cells are simply appendages harvested from the Reaper while he remained in our captivity, Antimatter is another subject entirely. Antimatter is the base element injected into the human body… resulting in wild mutations. But tentacle cells have _already_ mutated… and therefore have a _different effect entirely._ This is because they are **_not_ **something that interacts with the majority of the body’s cells like Antimatter does. They are more akin to a parasitic transplant.

From what I’ve observed (Subjects 1 and 2 having been injected with Antimatter, and Subjects 3 and 4 having simple tentacle transplants) it seems that tentacles have much less of an effect on the entire body, but are **_far_ **more at the risk of killing a person. While Antimatter arguably hurts more - replacing a person’s form with its own DNA… this at least leaves the body able to handle the rapid changes. Tentacle cells, on the other hand, only give the subject control over an additional limb… and leave their brain subject to serious strain. Because of this, I believe tentacle implants are the more dangerous of the two- although both are capable of causing brain damage… just to a lesser extent in the Antimatter’s case.

I believe this has something to do with the aforementioned ‘wish.’ If Subject 4’s desires changed rapidly after contact with the tentacle cells then I believe this has to be something inherent to both them and the original Antimatter. After all, I **_do not see where it would spawn from if not from its source…_ **and tentacles are simply a repurposed form of Antimatter.

Those implanted with Antimatter are undeniably stronger than those implanted with simple tentacles. I had a feeling, seeing as how their whole body has undergone a transformation as opposed to the additional limb, but Subject 4’s fight with Subject 1 finally proved my suspicion. I have mixed feelings on the matter.

You see… this implies I should focus my research on plain Antimatter going forward. But the cost of that additional power is that Antimatter saps someone of their humanity. If only there was a way to replace only the vital nerves - reflexes and such… with true Antimatter. Then they would be able to have that unlimited power without the other associated risks… _or_ the tentacles’ inherent damage to the brain.

...I will have to look into it. Perhaps this is an avenue worth pursuing.

But for now the only conclusion I can come to is that where Antimatter itself does not risk a life- it risks destroying the world. And tentacles… on the contrary, have the dangerous element contained- confined to destroying only a single person.

Could the different process undergone with Subject 2 be the key to balancing both factors, or will it risk either perishing or self-destructing as well?

I am not certain. But either way, I am excited to see how this experiment will progress.

\---

13 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

~~WHAT IS IT'S FUCKING PROBLEM? _I WON’T HAVE IT SWAY HIM._ **_I WON’T!!!!!_ ** ~~

Subject 2 attempted to make contact with Subject 4 today. Thankfully I was able to punish her appropriately… and Subject 4 doesn't seem to have cared or even processed it. He is completely in his own world.

Nevertheless, I cannot risk a repeat of this event. Soundproof walls will be put up.

Consider this a good thing. You won’t have to deal with Subject 2 any further.

\---

15 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

The subject expelled it’s small intestine today. I did X-rays, but see nothing overall to be concerned about. It’s body is simply shifting due to the Antimatter. It’s no longer in need of any organs that are disposed of… and as such anticipate, but do not sweat, similar symptoms in the future.

\---

18 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Soundproof walls have been successfully put up. This comes as a relief. Now do I not only not have to listen to the subject’s constant bitching, but I no longer risk it swaying other participants of the experiment. I’m not sure why I didn’t make this decision sooner.

\---

23 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject’s hair has begun to hover. I noticed it graying before, but I suppose that now true tentacles have developed there as well. Keep a close eye on it.

\---

26 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject vomits pure blood less and less. Sickness tends to come with chunks of organ or flesh as well. When examined, it’s internal structure is developing in a fascinating way. It’s lower half, especially, has lost most vital organs as the legs and abdomen continue to morph.

Other scientists are not to interact with the material it expels. Not only is it still not safe, but I will take care of disposing of it. Be thankful for that. Trust me when I say you don’t want to see what goes down in that room.

\---

31 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

~~**Those fucking CHILDREN! If I didn’t know any better I’d just kill them myself! Now THAT would really break it’s spirit.** ~~

\---

1 August 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Subject 4 failed in his duties yet again. While we were able to make considerable progress in assassinating Subject 1 due to cooperation from one of the students at Kunugigaoka Junior high… Subject 4 was bested by the rest of the class. They were able to overwhelm him and use the tentacles’ innate weakness against him.

As promised, I will give him one more shot. But if things are how I anticipate, I have a feeling that that won’t account for much. I’ll begin to make plans to dispose of him.

\---

August 6 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

I anticipate Subject 2 to hear the voice Subject 4 described in it’s head sooner rather than later judging by the trajectory of it’s mutations. I’ve told it about this, and instructed it to wish for strength, but I sincerely doubt it will cooperate. Either way, I’ve done my best to intimidate it, and I know full well that _it_ knows full well it will be punished severely if I don’t get my way.

\---

August 8 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Yukimura’s birthday passed today.

We didn’t celebrate. 

\---

It happens a little bit past it’s birthday.

It’s August 10th, and Yanagisawa is analyzing a strange shift in its molecular structure when one of his lackeys comes up to him, panicked. Little beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, he announces:

“It’s not working!”

Yanagisawa turns slowly. Face contorted he asks “What do you mean it’s not working?”

“The- _the test subject._ I was routinely observing her and something weird happened. Her IV just- it like… popped out! I tried to put it back in, but…” he gnaws on his lip. “Something weird is going on here. Just come with me.”

Yanagisawa rolls his eyes. He’s sure it’s just a simple misunderstanding on his underling’s part. All the same, he heads in to check it out.

“You just better not be wrong about this,” he threatens. “I don’t like wasting my time.”

...But to his surprise… he’s _not._

Sure enough, Aguri’s IV lies on the ground. It startles as he enters, but doesn’t particularly otherwise seem to look his way. In fact… he’s not even sure it realizes what’s _happened._ It’s staring up at the ceiling, expression blank.

Yanagisawa tries to reinsert the needle, wondering if it was perhaps just knocked out during a fit of mutation… but true to his underling’s word it **_doesn’t break the skin._ ** Try as he might to press it into Aguri’s arm… it doesn’t budge one bit. It’s like it’s… _it’s…-_

**_What exactly is going on here?_ **

Further experimentation yields the same results. A scalpel won’t piece the skin, nor will a syringe. All at once it’s like Aguri Yukimura has become indestructible… and that _baffles_ Yanagisawa. He hasn’t seen **_anything_ ** like this before. Not from Itona… not from The Reaper… and _certainly_ not from Akari.

This is _new._

“What did you **_do?”_ ** he demands, grasping at its face. It still _feels_ like flesh… but it most certainly _can’t_ be. **_What is this?_ **

“I… I don’t know,” Aguri murmurs. “I mean… I… I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t trying to- I just…-”

 _‘The wish,’_ Yanagisawa thinks… and his whole body tenses.

**_“What exactly did you wish for?”_ **

Aguri looks troubled, but doesn’t say a word. Yanagisawa grimaces, **_this_ ** close to slapping her for her disrespect, but just barely manages to hold himself back. Not in front of one of his cronies… and **_not_ **when he doesn’t know what’s going on. He needs to get this figured out first.

“Ishida,” he says. “Get the others. We have something **_big_ **on our hands.”

...He’ll find a way to fix this in due time.

* * *

Aguri doesn’t know what’s happening to her.

She’s simply staring up at the ceiling, half unconscious, when Yanagisawa storms into the room and tries to stick her. She startles… bracing for pain: but nothing comes. Her jaw falls slack… and skin still writhing, she finds herself asking the same exact question he is.

 _‘Wait._ **_What?’_ **

At first she thinks he’s simply made a mistake. But as she cranes her head his way she soon becomes certain: no- he’s one hundred percent attempting to break her skin. It’s just not… working. 

A scalpel gleans the same results… as does everything else he tries. No matter how hard he pokes or prods at her her body simply doesn’t wound. And swearing under his breath, Yanagisawa grows desperate.

He takes her jaw in his hands, asking her what she **_did…_ **but she’s hardly certain. Aguri gapes at him, eyes wide.

“I… I don’t _know.”_

“The wish,” Yanagisawa says, voice going cold. **_“What exactly did you wish for?”_ **

But Aguri can’t answer. Her mouth’s too dry. And although she expects Yanagisawa to strike her for that, he instead drops her head. Whirling around, he says to his coworker “Get the others. We have something **_big_ ** on our hands.”

...There’s an adrenaline to the way he moves.

Suddenly scientists are scrambling… observing her more than ever before. They attempt to force a needle into her arm… her leg… _any spot on her body-_ but it sooner twists than makes any sort of progress. She can’t even _feel_ it. She’s being _prodded_ at most! Not _stabbed!_

It doesn’t… it doesn’t make any **_sense._ ** Sure- she did admittedly wished for something, but it couldn’t do _this,_ could it? Even **_Reaper_ **didn’t have powers that great. Antimatter is incredible, but there’s no way that it… that it-

Her thoughts drift off.

 _‘You’re safe,’_ the tentacles murmur, trying desperately to reassure her. _‘You’re safe now. There’s nothing to worry about.’_

(...The scientists continue to bustle.)

Yanagisawa demands that the rest of her limbs are restrained immediately. In the meantime he’ll run x-rays. The scientists nod- getting right to work. And Yanagisawa does the same. He murmurs the whole time… hardly even looking at her.

Aguri doesn’t struggle. Even with her newfound powers she knows it’s not much use. Her arms are restrained and her limbs feel weak. She’s not going to go and try to get her hopes up _now._

She should just… observe this as it happens.

After all, things may have changed… but that doesn’t mean they’re going to get any better. With how much Yanagisawa and the rest hate her she’s sure they’ll still find a way to hurt her, even like this.

They discover that ‘Anti-sensei’ weapons are capable of making small incisions. It’s nothing like the way her palm exploded entirely early on… but they manage to break the skin if pressed hard enough. Nevertheless, Yanagisawa seems thoroughly unsatisfied. And shaking his head he repeats that “None of this makes sense.”

“Even… even Subject One reacts to Anti-sen- **_there’s no way.”_** He mumbles incoherently. **“** For it’s DNA to be able to resist… it’d have to be... the chemical composition would- **_no!_** There must be a misunderstanding. It’s simply not scientifically possible. It’s **_not.”_**

He’s storming in and out all throughout the day… fist clenched. She can still see him talking, even through the glass, but she can’t make out what he’s saying. She’s sure it’s something deadly serious from the look on his face. For the first time since she’s been trapped here, she thinks he looks _stressed._

He runs multiple tests on her… manages to draw blood with an anti-sensei tipped needle and otherwise observes her reactions to various elements. Nothing much happens, however… and Aguri watches blankly.

It’s like she can hardly even process what’s happening to her as real. She watches the needle break the skin and feels _nothing._ She wonders if that means that she’s finally broke, or if she should take these good things as they come.

(Ha. ‘Good,’ She thinks. 'What a fucking joke.')

It’s weird, but… she’s not in much pain. There’s still a small ache- a creaking to her bones and a pounding behind her eyes… but it’s nothing like before. Her body simply doesn’t process what’s happening to it. It comes as a catharsis, almost. She’s still terrified… and she knows things will likely return to how they were before sooner than not, but she savors this moment of respite. 

Yanagisawa must notice, because he asks her what she’s smiling about. Aguri blinks… just now processing that she’s smiling at all. It’s not like she’s _happy._ She’s - it must be unconscious…- it's not like she's relieved.

“It doesn’t hurt,” she murmurs. “That’s all.”

Yanagisawa’s jaw clenches. Staring down at her, he says “Okay. I think it’s about time you told me.”

“Told you what?” Aguri asks.

“What you wished for,” he says. “I believe I’m starting to understand how this works… but if I _really_ want to deduce the meaning behind your changes I’m going to need the full details. You’d best fess up, woman.”

Aguri’s mouth falls open.

She’s… not sure she should speak. It’s a haughty notion - but if she can’t feel pain then what’s the point? It’s not like he can threaten her. Maybe if she… maybe if she stops being entertaining to him, then he’ll finally put her down.

_She shakes her head._

Yanagisawa stares… and then steps forward. Fist shaking, he says **_“No?”_ **

“No,” Aguri says. “I know I can’t stand up to you… that much is obvious by now, but…-”

She doesn’t get to finish. Yanagisawa rushes forward with a roar. Raising his fist he shrieks **_“YOU THINK YOU SUDDENLY GET TO SAY NO TO ME!?”_ **

His coworkers try to hold him back- telling him that they don’t know what will happen under this new set of circumstances- but it’s no use… Yanagisawa shakes them off, and as Aguri flinches on instinct he brings his fist down against her face.

Now **_that_ **causes pain.

It takes Aguri a moment to even process it… but as she blinks slowly it dawns on her that her cheek’s exploded. Blood and Antimatter drip down her chin… and she realizes, abruptly, that the ache’s returned. 

**_...Ah._ **And so it seems that Yanagisawa is still capable of hurting her.

_(Why?)_

Every scientist stares. But as Yanagisawa straightens himself up he grins. And glancing down towards his knuckles, then towards Aguri’s mutilated face, he says “...And so it turns out that there’s still a way to hurt you after all.”

“I suppose there is.”

Yanagisawa doesn’t wait. Before anyone else can move he stomps his foot down against her stomach… hard as he can. Aguri lets out a shriek, gut combusting, but he doesn’t let up. He kicks her again and again and **_again._ **

“What did you wish for?” He demands, ignoring her cries. “Do you still think you can ignore me? Or have you given up on that!? What is it, Yukimura!?”

Aguri sobs… unable to do so much as even speak. But as Yanagisawa’s coworkers finally manage to pull him away, reminding him to not kill the experiment, Aguri answers him… breathless and distraught as she whispers “To be safe. That’s all I wished for. That’s not really such a bad thing… is it?”

Yanagisawa stares for a long moment… fist trembling. And for a moment he seems ready to strike her again. But he must be really sure about not wanting to get her killed, because he eventually turns around, teeth grit tight.

“Watch it carefully, you all,” he instructs. “I have a few tests to run.”

And with that… he storms out. Aguri watches him go, as do her ex-coworkers, but they hardly pay her any mind. Before she even knows it they disperse as well… leaving to scribble down notes and stare at her through the glass with their horrified eyes.

Her stomach squirms, trying desperately to repair itself. Blood drips down past her eye… and she squints, nose wrinkled, as she tries to drown out the pain.

‘I’m sorry,’ the tentacles seem to say. ‘I did my best… but…-’

‘No. It’s okay,’ Aguri responds, letting her body go limp. ‘It was hopeless from the start. I shouldn't have let myself think this would change anything. It’s not like someone like me can ever really be safe, after all.’

...Her whole body writhes.

The next time she sees Yanagisawa he seems much more collected. He’s alone, pen and paper in hand.

“I’ve had ample time to study your transformation,” he notes. “And I believe I’ve finally come to understand it. In ignoring my request and wishing for safety your tentacles went on the defensive as opposed to the offensive. And while a stupider man would allow this to throw a wrench in his plan I’ve devised a way around it. I _have_ dealt with your insubordination for the past two years, after all.”

“As I discovered earlier you are _still capable of being wounded…_ namely physically, by me. I believe this to be due to a flaw in how Antimatter changes the human body. You see… the way it makes up for expending so much energy is by giving the recipient a few fatal flaws. For the most part they become invincible… but where they’re weak they remain _weak.”_

“Previously I thought these flaws to be the same among all Antimatter creatures. But now I’ve been led to believe that they function _differently._ As such… let me try something real quick.”

Aguri braces for pain. It’s been a few hours… so her stomach and face have had time to heal, but she’s not exactly looking forward to reliving the same experience. She shuts her eyes, biting down hard on her lip… and waits for whatever it is he plans to dish out on her.

...He pours something wet onto her face.

Aguri flinches at first, more on instinct than anything. But as the cold liquid runs down her forehead and into her mouth she realizes that it’s in no way a bad thing. This is something she’s had before.

It’s just… _water._

“It’s as I thought,” Yanagisawa says, leaning in to get a better look at her. “No swelling. No grogginess. **_Nothing._ ** And that truly means that…” he whips around, hands drifting up to his chin. “...Different strengths based on a wish. And in turn, different weaknesses. But based on **_what?_ ** The antithesis of that wish, or something psychological? I’m still not certain. Before I thought the creature’s deficits were due to the innate properties of Antimatter, but it’s more than clear now that is _not_ the case. The two of you **_vary.”_ **

Aguri blinks. She’s not quite sure what he’s talking about. _Reaper?_ But that doesn’t make any sense. They never had time to study any of his weaknesses. At least- _she_ doesn’t remember anything having to do with water. Then again… she doesn’t remember much at all at this point. She wouldn’t put it past her to just forget something important.

“All besides the point for you, however,” Yanagisawa continues. “The only reason I’m telling you any of this in the first place is as a reminder. Know that I’ve come to understand the way your body has changed, and I will **_always_ **come to understand the way your body has changed no matter how you try to stump me. I’m a very smart man, Yukimura. And I won’t be fooled.”

“I’ve already found one way to continue hurting you. And in the upcoming weeks I will find more. Not only that… but I promise you that I will utilize this research to harm Reaper as well. You may not have the same weaknesses, but I am developing a further understanding of Antimatter. And the more you do to resist the closer you are to spelling his demise.”

Yanagisawa smirks. “As such… don’t go thinking you’ve won. Not now, or ever. You’re still very much within my control. And no matter what you do I’ll find a way to use it to my advantage. Thanks again, Yukimura. Because sure… you may not have wished for strength, as I asked, but in your hubris… you actually wished for something pretty close.”

He doesn’t bother to reach for a scalpel. He simply abruptly reaches out and tears a tentacle from Aguri’s skin. He gives a wicked grin as he does, watching it squirm wildly in his hand.

Aguri lets out a soft, sputtery gasp.

“I’ll be taking this,” he says. “I have research to do… mutations to weaponize. It may be a very long time before I’ve broken you completely, but in the meantime I can still use your DNA to create horrors beyond your wildest imagination. Delightful, really, isn’t it?”

He doesn’t wait for an answer. He just rips off a few smaller tentacles and then makes his leave. Aguri rolls her head as he does, not willing to look at the doorway. She tries to remember the sensation of water on her face. She hates herself for it, but that was almost kind of nice.

...It’s been a long time since she’s seen rain.

Yanagisawa and the others find a way to continue to inject her with Antimatter. They don’t care that she’s reached the goal they were aiming for at this point… not really. They just want to see her suffer. And as such they stick her with Anti-sensei tipped IVs. They have to reinsert them every few hours… otherwise her skin forces them out, but they don’t particularly seem to mind.

At least not Yanagisawa.

On second thought, maybe his coworkers seem a little nervous.

They’re still voicing concern to him. At least… that’s the impression she gets watching them without sound. She can’t exactly blame them. She must seem _dangerous_ to them, especially after what happened to Reaper. But she tries to tell them with her eyes that she’s still not scary… that she has no intent of hurting them. She wouldn’t wish harm on them. She just… hates them.

...No. That’s not true, either, is it? That’s too cruel to say. She’s… she’s Aguri. She’s always put a lot of pride into not hating anyone. She’s just… she’s scared… and she’s lonely, that’s all. Is that a better answer?

 **_(Why_ ** _is she still caught up on these things at all?)_

Either way, they don’t have much to worry about. She _may_ technically have new powers… but it’s not like she understands them, and so things are mostly the same as before. Even if Yanagisawa and the others have to do slightly more work Aguri certainly doesn’t feel like she won… and she wouldn’t have _even_ without his whole monologue to her. She gave up on feeling like she could earn victories a _long_ time ago. 

They continue to restrain her more and more. Slowly, the restraints on her arms grow thicker… her whole legs are encased. A tight clamp is put around her neck, pinning her to the table, and she finds that she can no longer turn it. She’s left staring up at the ceiling permanently… struggling to breathe. She doesn’t know if she’s scared or if it’s legitimately restricting her breath, but either way, she hates the sensation.

‘Hey,’ she thinks, trying to look on the bright side. ‘At least Yanagisawa doesn’t have that many spots to hit you anymore.’

 _'...Ha._ Yeah.'

It makes her want to cry.

As the days pass by, Yanagisawa continues to study her. He greenlights more weaknesses and takes more tentacles from her. He stares down at one as it wriggles in his hand, raising an eyebrow.

“Perhaps these will be even more efficient than the others in being used for transplants. But is it too late into the boy’s progress to make a switch?” He grits his teeth. “If only I could earn the cooperation of the other. _Then_ things would be much easier. We’re running out of time… I may have to pick up a fifth subject.”

He’s talking to himself more than anything. Aguri wonders absentmindedly who he means by ‘the other.’ Is the boy that golden-eyed kid she saw? She hopes he doesn’t have _multiple_ kids under his control like that. That would be **_terrible._ **

...She doesn’t want them to feel a sliver of what she’s feeling right now.

Over time she starts to get bigger… at least, she thinks. It’s hard to tell for certain if something’s actually happening or if it’s just the swollen sensation of her newfound numbness. Either way, the scientists soon move her onto a larger operating table. She doesn’t struggle as they do. She doesn’t see much of a point.

Her limbs feel squished within her restraints. Then again, they’re hardly limbs at all at this point. Her body parts simply aren’t distinguishable. She’s one writhing mass of flesh… and when she shuts her eyes she can almost pretend she doesn’t exist.

Almost.

‘One day, hopefully,’ she thinks. ‘If this world has any mercy.’

...Yeah. That would be nice.

* * *

August 10 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Things have gone off the rails.

This first came to my attention when one of my underlings pointed out that Subject 2’s IV had popped out of it’s arm. At first I thought this to be a simple fluke, but upon closer observation. I was not able to force the needle back into the skin. It simply _would not break._

Scalpels and knives yielded similar results. Anti-sensei material is able to pierce the flesh if forced, but it’s nothing like the reaction it earns from Subject 1. Subject 2 has become something close to invincible.

 **_...Close,_ **but not quite.

I was able to do damage to it by striking it. Yes: that’s right. **_Hitting it_ ** harmed it. And it did not simply bruise. The flesh _exploded_ upon contact. This was the only interaction during this time that the subject indicated was genuinely painful.

...It said it wished for safety.

Hmmmmmm.

\---

August 11 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

I’ve had time to think through the subject’s changes and I think I finally understand them. Some aspects of my understanding of Antimatter were flawed before. But utilizing these new studies, I think I understand more about what makes both the subject and the octopus tick.

The subject did not display a reaction to water. I have not tested it’s reaction to high-calorie foods or soft-tissue body parts yet, but I anticipate the same results. **_Each Antimatter creature created has it’s own set of strengths and weaknesses._ **And while Anti-sensei material is a constant able to hurt them, perhaps utilizing these individual weaknesses is a better way to go about assassination.

If I can figure out what Subject 1 wished for, I could successfully reverse engineer it.

As usual, Yukimura’s hubris has found a way to help me out after all.

\---

August 12 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

Tentacles retrieved from Subject 2 display the same behavior as it. Even when removed from the body for a long period of time they still resist damage and do not display a reaction to abject physical harm.

I wish I could implant them onto Subject 4… but I fear it’s too late for that now. His body’s already taken to Subject 1’s tentacles, and it could be _months_ before he’s fully adjusted to Subject 2’s. I don’t want to pour all of that time into him only to risk him screwing it up.

Perhaps I should take in another experiment… one _ready_ for combat. While working on Subject 2 is cathartic it does very little to help me in the battle against Subject 1. If I picked up another assassin, however… I’d have a legitimately valuable ally.

But if I do… do I implant them with Subject 2’s tentacles or run them through the full Antimatter process themselves? Too many questions and too little time. Perhaps I should be picking up more than one new experiment. 

...We’ll see how I feel in the upcoming weeks.

\---

August 14 July 2014 

_Kotaro Yanagisawa_

I don’t know why… but Subject 2 is beginning to irritate me even more than usual. I don’t know if it’s due to it’s disobedience or simply not being able to hear the screams, but it has me on edge. Why is it that even after 5 months of torture it still has the audacity to disrespect me?

Perhaps it’s time I do something drastic. If nothing else, I’d like to break it’s spirit once and for all. 

...Yeah. Let’s do a little bit of hopeful thinking.

* * *

_“We did it.”_

Yanagisawa sounds resolute for the first time since she’s met him.

Aguri doesn’t turn her head his way as he enters the room… she literally can’t. But she does listen to him for some reason or another as he parades over to the operating table. There’s this weird sense of finality to the way he talks, and she has a feeling she’ll regret it if she doesn’t give him at least some _passing_ attention.

That’s probably just the loneliness talking… it’s been a few days since he’s really talked to her, after all. But whatever. It’s not like she has much of a choice, anyways. And if he just wants to brag about whatever it is that his most recent scientific discovery accomplished then who is she to stop him?

She tries her best to crane her head his way… stares at him with half-attent. He must not be satisfied with that, however, because he scoffs and says “You might want to actually listen to this, bitch. It involves you, you know.”

That still doesn’t earn much of a reaction from Aguri. She simply gives a halfhearted nod and murmurs “Mmm. What is it?”

His next words, however… catch her full attention.

“We killed the beast,” he says blankly, and Aguri’s blood runs cold.

“What do you… what do you mean?” She asks, staring up at him. She waits for his lip to twitch- for him to crack a grin, betray some sort of sign that he’s screwing with her… but his expression doesn’t budge. Hands in his pockets he smiles calmly and gives a shrug.

“We killed it,” he repeats. “Reaper. The test subject. We were able to take it down.”

He’s pacing before she can observe him any further. Rambling madly, he talks about how he **_knew_ ** this research would benefit him… how he’d just make a breakthrough. And yes… **_yes!_ **He finally did! That’s right: it finally happened! He got his revenge.

Aguri doesn’t want to believe a word of it. But she hears the way he speaks with conviction and her head starts to spin. No... _no._ There’s no way. **_He’s just messing with her._ ** Reaper wouldn’t go down that easily. He’s a strong person! W… who _cares_ if Yanagisawa had plenty of time to research? And who cares if he’s… he’s…-

(He’s had **_her_ **to go off of?)

“I couldn’t have done this without you, you know,” he continues. “I never thought I’d be saying this… but thank you! _Seriously!_ I mean… if you’d just wished for **_strength,_ ** even, things might not have worked out the way they did. But because you disobeyed me… because you wished for _safety,_ the pieces just ended up fitting together perfectly. I was able to create the ultimate weapon!”

“W… what did you?” Aguri says, blinking. Her words trail off and her mouth runs dry. **_“How?”_ **

“Utilizing your DNA samples, mostly,” Yanagisawa says with another shrug. “You see… I was still unsure what it is The Reaper wished for… but I knew at that point that it had to be something weaker than what you’d chosen. After all… he was in _no_ way indestructible in the same sort of way you are. Because of that I set up tentacle mines harvested from your body and prepared them at his site of work.” He clicks his tongue. “Quite frankly… he didn’t stand a chance.”

“He was fast… sure, but even _fast_ doesn’t stand a chance against _invincible._ He dodged the first few and then… **_bam!”_ **He slaps his palms together. “We got him. Straight through the heart it embedded itself. There was no regenerating from there. He collapsed and was bombarded by the rest. Dead within minutes.”

Aguri stares… shaking her head almost on instinct.

“No,” she says defiantly. _“No.”_

 **_“Yes,”_ ** Yanagisawa chides. “I can describe it, if you’d like.” He chuckles. “It went in through his back and got stuck right in the lefthand side of his heart. His regenerating body _tried_ to force it out, but it didn’t stand a chance. **_Your_ ** cells simply overpowered it. He collapsed, exhausted and spitting up blood before the rest of the mines finished him off. Does that _sound_ made up to you? Or do I need to go into more detail?”

Aguri struggles for breath. _“Don’t.”_

“He let out this pathetic little squeak and started to look around, panicked. But his bodily functions were already shutting down and as he collapsed he couldn’t even drag himself away to die in privacy. He started to dig into the wound- perhaps hoping to remove the intrusion himself… but he could barely make progress before another missile entered his side... his thigh… his chest and forehead. He fell over onto his side and desperately attempted to call out, but even _that_ was in vain. It was too late. He died in pa-”

**_“DON’T!”_ **

Aguri’s voice is a shout. Shaking her head rapidly, she begs him not to tell her any more. She still doesn’t want to believe it… wants to think he’s stronger than that. But Yanagisawa describes it in such detail and her whole body writhes. She remembers what it was like to get impaled and her stomach starts to churn. Wound thumping, twitching…-- **_she refuses to think about Reaper going through the same thing!_ **

“Why?” Yanagisawa asks. “Do you _feel bad?”_ He scoffs. **_“Don’t._ ** Sure, this is your fault… but think of it as revenge. **_You had a part in taking down the beast! You_ ** were able to make him experience the suffering you endured. Isn’t it cathartic!? Doesn’t it feel **_good!?”_ **

**_“No!”_ **Aguri shrieks, breaths desperate and greedy. “Of course not!” 

_Oh god…_ **_OH GOD!_ **

And in an instant she’s back there… she's been impaled through the gut. She’s bleeding out and she can’t get air in her lungs no matter how hard she tries. She’s clawing at the ground and Reaper rushes to her side. He picks her up with a carefulness to his motion, but even such a gentle act sends pain sweeping through her body. She lets out a cry, hardly on purpose... and as her vision starts to blur her head starts to spin. She knows, instantly, that she’s dying.

She wonders if he’d known the same thing.

Her heart starts to pound. She refuses to imagine it… him dying alone… unloved. At least until she considers the alternative, and realizes that he wasn’t alone at all.

_The kids-_

OH GOD!

 _The kids!_ **_Were they with him!?_ **

“The- _the students,”_ she sputters. “Where were they!? Don’t tell me they were **_there_ **when you killed him!” 

Yanagisawa’s eyebrow rises slowly. Curious, he says “I didn’t know you _knew_ about the kids.”

 **_“Of course I knew about the kids!”_ ** Aguri replies, chest heaving with her words. _“I’m the one who told him to look out for them!_ Y-you’ve been trying to kill him with Anti- _sensei_ material! He’s been nurturing them, hasn’t he!? Oh god! Are they alright!?”

“Well…” Yanagisawa says, lips creased into a thin frown. “I didn’t want to have to tell you this… go and break your heart even further, but since you **_asked…”_ **He snickers. “There are always a few civilian casualties in these kinds of things.”

Aguri’s blood runs cold. Casualties? **_Casualties!? He means to say they’re dead!?_ ** Her whole body thrashes as tears start to trail down her cheeks. And heartbroken- _outraged,_ almost… she demands to know _who!_ **_Who!?_ **

**_“WHICH OF MY BABIES DID YOU KILL!?”_ **

“Oh,” Yanagisawa says, taking a step back. “I can’t bother to remember _names._ I didn’t know those kids well, after all. And it’s not like it matters _now._ What’s done is done.”

“No! **_No!”_ ** Aguri shrieks so loud her voice feels raw. “You can’t just say that! You can do whatever you want to me… say I deserve it! But **_nothing_ ** was supposed to happen to those kids! They were just _middle schoolers!”_

“And they were sheltering a **_beast.”_ **

“You’re going to be punished!” Aguri argues. “You can’t tell me everyone is seriously just okay with this! T- _the government!_ They’re going to find you! They’re going to put you in jail!” She hyperventilates, tears streaming down her face. **_“You’ll pay for this!”_ **

“Like hell I will,” Yanagisawa replies, motioning to her. “I was already able to get away with _this._ Who’s to say I can’t get away with anything I want? And besides… the government didn’t care. Those kids were acceptable fatalities from the start. As long as the monster got what was coming to him they didn’t care what happened to anyone else. And he **_did._ **I got him. And it turns out those kids just had to pay."

He clicks his tongue. “Of course… they wouldn’t have had to worry about any of this if some **_dumb bitch_ ** didn’t tell the monster to supervise them… but hindsight is 20/20, yeah? I’m sure you’d change it if you _could.”_

He gives her a saccharine look and sadly shakes his head. On instinct, almost- Aguri attempts to lunge forward… whole body kicking. But it’s no use- her arms meet her restraints and stop her in her place. Before she even knows what she’s doing she’s started to scream.

She wants to be out of here more than ever. She wants to fight back… throw a punch- see if what he’s saying is really true… but she can’t even do that. Even mustering all the rage- all the sadness she can gather in her tiny heart she’s simply too weak. And try as she might to fight back with everything she has… here she remains.

 _‘It’s not my fault,’_ she tries to think. _‘It’s not!_ **_It’s NOT!’_ **

Yanagisawa stares down at her with such a cold gaze.

And quickly, anger fades out into sadness. Aguri thinks about those small, _small_ kids… those hopeless students with their entire lives in front of them **_dying_ ** and wants to scream for dear life. **_Wants to believe that there’s something she could have done!_ ** But there’s nothing - **_nothing!_ **And that’s the worst possible feeling of them all.

Reaper, too. Oh god… **_Reaper._ ** Did he die protecting them? Did he die _scared?_ Or did he die relieved, like she did? **_Does it even matter!?_ ** Either way it’s _miserable!_ And imagining him arriving in the afterlife… only to not see her... end up all alone-- it makes her want to sob.

(Does he know what she’s become by now!?)

 _No!_ **_No!_ ** She won’t believe it! She doesn’t want to believe it! How can she just take Yanagisawa’s words at face value? But all the same, he says it so factually… so _smug_ and _satisfied_ and she just _has_ to believe him. _This man is her only source of info, and she has_ **_never_ ** _heard him sound like this!_ **_There is nothing she can do to disprove him!_ ** Her lover! Her children! It’s true! They’re **_dead._ **

Dead: like she wanted to be. _Dead..:_ like would be better than this. Dead. _Dead._ **_Dead:_ ** as in _gone forever._

The kids she believed in… fought for: **_put all of her hopes in!_** The man that she saw as a rock… _that she died for,_ that she was kidnapped to save: those wonderful faces _she cannot remember and will never see again. They’re_ ** _gone._** And they’re gone because of **_her!_**

**_(Yanagisawa’s right! This is all her fault!)_ **

She sobs so hard her whole body shakes. And shivering… hyperventilating, she so desperately wishes to just reach up and cover her face with her hands. Her head pounds… her cries echo- and snot running down her face she begs for some sort of reprieve.

Yanagisawa doesn’t offer it to her. He simply watches her… expressionless, before finally turning around. He reaches out towards the door.

“I just thought I should let you know,” he states. “...Nothing will be changing from here on out… I fully intend to continue experimenting on you, but seeing as how this is the end of an era…” He pauses. “Well, it was only right to let you know you got your revenge.”

It’s not a condolence… not really. He says it straight-faced, but it’s mockery. And as he slams the door behind him Aguri lets out another incoherent shriek.

The tears don’t slow. Still unable to breathe Aguri bawls like a baby... because _truly and finally_ her hope is gone. She thought she didn’t have any left… at least not for herself. But it turns out that hope in others is dangerous, too. And hoping that her loved ones could at least continue to lead happy lives.

...Well, it was a pipe dream at most. After all, they **_did_ **have to know her.

And as such… heart shattered in two, Aguri wails until she doesn’t think she has a single tear left.

* * *

It’s funny. It doesn’t hurt much anymore unless she focuses on it. Then again… it’s not like she’s moving much. She hasn’t moved in a very long time now.

* * *

It’d be peaceful, almost, if she didn’t have to hear his voice. Like she died. She wishes she had.

* * *

She tries to shut him out. It doesn’t always work… but sometimes when she focuses on the throbbing of her veins and pounding of her heart she manages to forget where she is right now… let it consume her. She tries not to think too much… it hurts. And as such, instead, she focuses on the pain.

* * *

...Aguri hears sirens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO boy. What a chapter.
> 
> Still not quite as dark as the last one IMO (There's nothing quite as upsetting as a woman begging for her ex to let her commit suicide), but the bar's underground there.
> 
> This chapter is the last one that will be featuring 'research notes,' so I made sure to use that as a final opportunity to loredump. Obviously SOME of what Yanagisawa is saying is probably wrong-- he's not exactly a smart person-- but make sure to keep his interpretation of tentacles vs Antimatter injections in mind. It will be coming up again.
> 
> Also, it's a minor thing, but writing how he perceives Itona really made me sad. Using phrases like 'terminate him?' DUDE! That's a wholeass child!
> 
> Shifting focus from the research notes, however, let's get to one of the real big bombshells of the chapter... Aguri's new powers. Hehehehehe. One of the questions I asked myself when I first set out to make this AU was 'If Korosensei wished to be WEAK and still ended up that OP, what would happen to someone who wished to be, say, invulnerable? They'd be near UNKILLABLE.' And! Well! Aguri certainly is powerful, yeah.
> 
> But she's still got a weakness. The tentacles couldn't cover all grounds. And where Korosensei's weaknesses stemmed from things like not being able to swim, hers stems from a recurring traumatic event. Wish as she might, she's not untouchable at all.
> 
> The scene where Yanagisawa discovered that was really horrific to write. Describing him kicking her made me like legitimately sick to my stomach. I'm proud of the scary elements, but at the same I always feel so sick writing this guy. I CANNOT wait to move on to greener pastures.
> 
> But before that... let's talk about the second bombshell: the claim that Korosensei and the students are dead. WE obviously know that's not true (At least... probably. Korosensei PROBABLY isn't dead in the fic tagged 'Koroagu'), but Aguri's incredibly unstable right now. All she needed was the suggestion and her mind ran with it. And she is so, so heartbroken. That was the last shred of hope she had left.
> 
> ...ANYWAYS!
> 
> Next chapter we'll be out of this arc entirely and switching to another character's perspective. That's right: Kayano. It's time to see how she's handled all of this, and maybe put an end to this horror once and for all. But that won't exactly be easy, will it? And how will she take the news?
> 
> We'll just have to see! The chapter will be out in two weeks because now that we're through the depressing shit I'd like to be able to buffer/make a backlog a bit more. Hope ya'll don't mind the wait too much.
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were Blue Lips by Regina Spektor, Zydrate Anatomy from Repo, and Bruno Is Orange by Hop Along. Good LORD I cannot wait to move on to new events and subsequently new music.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next week! Make sure to let me know what you thought! :D
> 
> (Also... plugging the Discord one more time real quick. I'd love to talk to you allllllll ;)
> 
> https://discord.gg/KjVy75z)


	6. Unmasked Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Finally a chapter w less triggering topics.
> 
> None of the trigger warnings of the last chapters apply aside from very broad discussion of human experimentation. Now all you've got to worry about is some angry, sort of frightening behavior, and a whole lot of panic!

Akari’s not sure what she expected when Itona approached her after class, but it certainly wasn’t this.

It’s maybe been a week since he’d officially enrolled, and he tails after her the minute the bell rings… this slight awkwardness to his gait. At first she doesn’t even notice him, but when he taps her on the shoulder and asks if they can ‘talk privately,’ she gives a shrug.

“Sure,” she says. “I don’t see why not.”

She’s sure it’s not something important… but there’s no harm in humoring him. She  _ is  _ trying to build rapport with the class, after all. She puts on her most innocuous expression and flashes him a bright smile before starting to head back around the school. She motions after for him to follow.

“Let’s go this way,” she says. “Everyone should be on their way back from school, so no-one will be hanging around. And it’s not like our classmates would want to listen in much, anyways.” 

She briefly wonders if they’ll assume anything seeing the two of them head off together, but then again she doesn’t care much. It’s not like her classmates’ impressions of her  _ really  _ matter, anyways. And who knows? Maybe a budding friendship with Itona will give her the perfect alibi sometime in the future. A good actress knows how to take these opportunities as they come.

Itona follows after… giving a nod. He ducks behind the school building, hands in his pockets as he stares awkwardly at her.

Akari shoots a quick glance over her shoulder… but doesn’t see anyone. Thankfully, she doesn’t think they have to worry much about the octopus. He may have super speed, but he’ll be occupied making sure the rest of the class gets home safe for a good thirty minutes. He  _ is  _ a worrywart, after all.

(‘Blah,’ Akari thinks, feeling bile rise in her throat. ‘What a  **_joke.’_ ** She knows what he really is.)

She doesn’t dwell on it long. She gives Itona a ditzy smile and cocks her head.

“What is it?” She asks. “Are you having trouble fitting into class or something? I’m always happy to help... but I was under the impression you were getting along well with Terasaka’s little gang. Don’t tell me they’re picking on you or something.”

“No,” Itona says, scratching at his arm. “It’s nothing like that. This class has been very nice to me, and so… this isn’t about them. This is about something that’s been bothering me ever since I got my tentacles removed.”

Akari’s lip twitches slightly. _Tentacles?_ Ah… and so _that’s_ what this is about. All the same, she doesn’t let her expression falter. She **_sincerely_** doubts he picked up on her having them too. He might just still be having chronic pains or something and be looking for a way to approach Korosensei about it. As long as she pretends that she’s happy to help then she won’t betray a thing.

“Mmm?” She asks. “That whole thing  **_did_ ** seem really scary. What’s eating at you?”

Itona’s quiet for a moment. Then, finally, he says “This is going to sound weird… but I just can’t shake it. Do you… know a person named Akari Yukimura?”

Akari’s heart catches in her chest. Staring  _ through  _ Itona she lets his words ring in her ears. At first she can’t believe it… thinks she must have misheard. But as she repeats him, he gives her a stoic nod.

“Akari?”

“Yeah. Akari Yukimura.”

Briefly, she considers killing him right then and there. It wouldn’t be hard. He just had his tentacles removed: there’s got to be a way to frame it as withdrawal… but just barely she manages to hold back. She has  **_no_ ** intent to let her cover be blown, but she’s not going to make a rash decision. There are steps she can take before it comes to that.

Taking a step backwards, she doesn’t let any of that apprehension show on the outside. Instead, giving Itona a naive look she says “No. For a second I thought I may have, but… I was mistaken.” She frowns. “Why? Are you on the search?”

Her tentacles twitch gently from within her nape as she speaks. But, ‘not now,’ she reminds them. ‘I know… I’m angry too. But we can’t go screwing this up. Let’s not be rash.’

“S… omething like that,” Itona replies. “I… overheard the name at the lab back when I was still there, and out of curiosity, I ended up looking her up. At first, I couldn’t find any record of an Akari Yukimura existing, but eventually, I managed to stumble upon this girl named ‘Haruana Mase.’ Which you wouldn't think is relevant at all… but here’s the weird thing.” He holds out his phone. “She looks  _ just  _ like you."

Akari takes his phone… staring down at it curiously in an attempt to keep up the act. Indeed, from it, a photo of a younger version of herself stares up at her, posing for some movie shoot.

“She’s apparently like… some weird B-list celebrity,” Itona continues. “Are you sure she’s not a family member or something? You’ve got to admit the resemblance is uncanny.”

“I mean… yeah,” Akari admits, biting her lip, but ultimately shakes her head. “But it’s not like that means much of anything. It’s kind of funny… but sometimes people just look like people. Why?”

“I don’t know,” Itona says. “It just… bothered me.”

“Where’d you hear that name from, anyways? Shiro? ‘Cause then you shouldn’t be taking it to heart. That guy is  _ always  _ spouting nonsense.”

“I…  _ didn’t,  _ is the thing,” Itona says. He’s quiet for a moment, almost as if thinking something over… before admitting, meekly, that he “Heard it from this weird lady, actually.”

And  **_that_ ** makes Kayano freeze.

“What do you  _ mean  _ weird lady?”

“I don’t know… just-” Itona pauses. “There was…-  _ it’s a bit hazy…  _ everything from being on tentacles is…- but I seem to remember that there was this… this  _ person  _ there. Like- another person Shiro was experimenting on. She said her name was Aguri Yukimura or something. That she was…- was looking to get into contact with her family.”

A…  _ Aguri? _

No.  **_No._ ** There’s no way. Itona’s words make her pause for a minute… but Akari’s far too smart to fall for that. She  _ knows  _ what happened to Aguri.  **_She attended her funeral!_ ** And as much as she’d…-- as much as she’d like to believe she’s still alive--

...She’s just  _ not. _

_ “What are you talking about?”  _ She demands, voice a snarl. “And where in the **_hell_ ** did you hear that name?” 

Itona does a double-take… wholly surprised by the sudden aggression to her tone. All the same, he doesn’t back down.

“I told you:” he says, voice flat. “From the lady herself. Or at least someone who claimed to be. Why?  _ Do  _ you know her?”

“I…” Akari’s mouth falls open. “No,” she says, shaking her head. **_“No._ ** There’s not another experiment. If there was we’d know by now. That… that person has no patience. He’d-  _ he’d have sicced her on us by now.  _ Like you. But we haven’t-  **_I haven’t seen a thing.”_ **

“She was hardly in the state to-”

“No. Q-quiet! Stop. Stop spouting all this nonsense. You’re just… you’re just…-” Her eyes narrow. **_“You’re still working with him, aren’t you?”_ **

Itona takes a step back. 

“No.  _ What?” _

But Akari’s already on him. Attempting to pin him to her side with her arm she runs her fingers through his hair in a methodical search for tentacles. When she doesn’t stumble upon them she tries to lower her search to his nape... but he pushes her away before she can get far.

_ “What the hell are you doing?”  _ He asks, looking almost offended. “Get off of me.”

**_“Where are they?”_ ** Akari demands. “You still have them. I just know it.”

“Have  **_wh…-?”_ ** Itona starts to ask, but drifts off. “Tentacles?  _ Are you out of your mind?  _ You saw Korosensei remove them yourself!”

“And he…  _ he could always be lying,”  _ Akari says. “He’s a  **_liar._ ** How do I know that...- that wasn’t an act? Or that… that you didn’t go back?” Her eyes narrow. “What did he offer you? Money? Power? To get your family out of bankruptcy?”

“What did- who offered m-  **_what?_ ** Who are you even  _ talking  _ about?”

“Yanagisawa!” Akari says, throwing her hands in the air. “Who  **_else_ ** could I be talking about!”

Itona shoots her a confused look.

“I mean… Shiro,” Akari rectifies, shaking her head. “Sorry.”

“...Okay then: Shiro,  _ yeah,”  _ Itona replies. “First of all, I’m  _ not interested in working with that guy again…  _ so yeah. And second of all  **_I_ ** didn’t even know his real name up until now, so I’m a little bit curious as to how you  _ do.” _

Akari pauses… stopping to take a deep breath. She clenches her fist. 

_ ‘I’m betraying valuable information, aren’t I?’  _ She thinks. _ ‘Goddamn it. Goddamn it.’  _

She needs to get her shit together. This is no way for an actress to behave. She’d simply lost her cool thinking about Aguri being kept as a  _ prisoner  _ or whatever. But she’s not, is she? She’s just… jumping to conclusions.

She needs to get an assessment of Itona.  **_Quick._ ** He may very well be just trying to upset her- but somehow she doesn’t get the impression that he’s particularly good at putting on an act. She still remembers him bursting in through the wall. If he were on tentacles he wouldn’t be able to behave with this level of composure… not like she can.

She uses her own tentacles' heat-seeking capabilities to get a read on him. It’s impossible to tell if it’s  _ truly  _ accurate, especially not without pulling them out… but his heart rate’s surprisingly normal, and if he has a temperature she certainly can’t tell. Maybe he’s  **_not_ ** on tentacles.

But then…  _ what? _

“I…” she can barely even remember what they were talking about. “Sorry. That was just a slip of the tongue. I got him confused with- there’s this guy I know who’s…-” she drifts off. “Ignore me. I’m just super out of it.”

“I… can tell,” Itona replies, cocking an eyebrow. “Seriously… what’s going on? I was just going to head straight to Korosensei with the information, but I wanted to make sure you weren’t involved first.  _ Should I just-?” _

**_“NO!”_ ** Akari interjects quickly **_. “DON’T…_ ** tell Korosensei.” She pants for breath. “Seriously.  _ Whatever you do… _ do  **_not_ ** let him in on this.”

“W… why?” Itona asks, still taken aback. 

“He’s…  _ he’s-”  _ Akari grits her teeth. “I don’t know. It’s complicated, okay? And besides... ! None of that matters. I need to figure out how y-  **_are you sure Shiro didn’t just slip you that name?”_ **

“Certain,” Itona replies. “I was all sorts of drugged up… but… I know what I saw. That lady in there.  _ She-” _

**_“Describe her. Now.”_ **

Akari’s whole body shakes as she speaks. She doesn’t even want to humor it… but what else is she supposed to  _ do!?  _ On the off chance that-- that her sister is really still out there she can’t just  _ sit  _ around. She has to... to…--  **_to do something!_ **

It takes all her effort just not to collapse.

“Well she was… in this enclosed room,” Itona says. “In the back of his lab. I saw her twice. The first time we didn’t really speak, but the second she started shouting at me.” He frowns. “She said her name was Aguri Yukimura… that she was… twenty-five? And being kept there against her will. She didn’t mention her parents' names, but she mentioned that she used to work here and that her baby sister was named Akari Yukimura.” He pauses. “That’s why I thought she was maybe connected to you. Like I said: I couldn’t really find much record of an Akari existing, but if she  _ is  _ Haruana Mase, actresses use aliases all the time… and you… you look just like her. Not only that, but you  _ attend  _ here.”

“She seemed to be in pretty bad shape. Had way more tentacles than I did. Not to mention she wasn’t in free roam. She was strapped down to an operating table by her legs and arms. Started crying while she was talking to me. She kept asking me to…-” he drifts off. “To…-”

“To what?” Akari demands.

“...To kill her,” Itona awkwardly finishes. “Shiro escorted me away from there before she could say much more… but in hindsight the whole situation really freaked me out.”

Akari bites down on her lip and quivers. She hates to admit it, but that sounds like Aguri alright… right down to the whole ‘reckless disregard for her own safety’ thing. And that isn’t even getting started on how vulnerable Itona looks. He’s got this genuinely frightened glimmer in his eye. Is he really capable of making that up?

(‘Of… **_of course he is!’_** She thinks. _Everyone_ is capable of playing pretend! Look at what _she’s_ doing right now. She can’t go- she can’t just go trusting in this!

But all the same, even the  _ thought  _ makes her sick. And if there’s even a  _ possibility  _ that that’s reality then she doesn’t want to back down. She doesn’t want to leave her sister alone. She doesn’t want to… to-)

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

Her voice is a growl.

“What?”

**_“Why didn’t you say something!?”_ ** She demands, stepping in and attempting to grab Itona by the collar. “If someone is really in danger then-  **_then why did you wait this whole time!?_ ** She could be…  _ she could be…-”  _ Her voice wavers, but her grip only tightens. _ “She could be suffering so much!” _

Itona looks guilty for a moment… but his gaze soon hardens. Frowning, he says “I wasn’t in my right mind up until recently. You know that. While I was under the tentacles control I could barely think for myself. I didn’t think what was happening was weird. But now that I can assess the situation myself… I wanted to do something. Better now than never.”

He attempts to wrench Kayano’s hand away from him. “Now let go of me and tell me how you know this woman before I go to Korosensei. I don’t want to do anything that will upset you, but…” He pauses. “I honestly didn’t expect this strong of a reaction, and don’t know you well enough to tell what’s going on. If someone really is in danger then just _ tell me. _ I want to know what I can do to help them.”

Akari grits her teeth. For a split second the tentacles are going off in her brain again- demanding she just kill Itona. That’s what he’d get for lying to her! For using her sister to manipulate her and try to blow her cover. She wanted to be a killer, right? Then here it is! Here’s her chance!  _ She can silence him!  _

Still, she can’t will herself to move. Staring at him with cold eyes, her hand falls limp. And as she drops him she lets out a deep, raggedy breath. 

“Fine,” she says. “I can tell you everything that you need to know.”

She feels like a moth diving straight towards a flame. She  _ knows  _ she’s getting in way over her head… and she’s running the risk of screwing up everything she’s fought for so hard up until this point. But all the same… if there’s even a  _ minuscule  _ chance her sister is still alive then she can’t let that pass her by. She will  _ not  _ be played for a fool again.

“This is  _ not  _ to be passed on to a single other living person,” she whispers, voice a hiss. “Not Korosensei. Not Shiro. Not Terasaka.  **_No-one._ ** What I’m about to tell you is secret, and if I find out you told anyone then I will  **_fucking kill you._ ** I am not joking, Itona. This is  _ serious.” _

Itona pauses, but nods.

“Very well then,” he says, nose wrinkling. “I didn’t intend to break your trust in the first place… but I’ll keep your threats in mind.”

“And… come with me,” Akari continues, grabbing him by the hand. “We can’t stay here. If I’m going to tell you what I’m about to tell you then I  _ won’t  _ risk being overheard. We need to go somewhere... - somewhere far away. Where Korosensei won’t possibly hear.”

She doesn’t wait for a response. She’s already dragging him by the hand. Itona squints, but doesn’t attempt to resist… simply murmurs something about how he feels like he’s being lured into a death-trap.

_ ‘You and me both,’  _ Akari notes, palms slick with sweat.

They hurry their way down the mountain and make their way into town. Akari ducks into the first back-alley she can find… then another after that. By the time she’s satisfied the two of them are thoroughly lost… and the stench of trash hangs in the air. 

“Good,” she says, releasing her grip on Itona’s hand. “Good. He shouldn’t be able to find us here.”

She’s started to pace. She knows Itona is staring at her like she’s a crazy person, but she doesn’t care. There is no such thing as being overly paranoid in a situation like this.

“Great,” he replies. “Now what? Who… who is this person?”

“She’s…” Akari pauses. “My sister. Aguri Yukimura is my sister.  **_Now_ ** do you understand why this is so important to me? Why I’m…-  _ I’m going to ruin your life if you’re making this up?” _

She shoots Itona a serious look. He cocks an eyebrow, but nods.

“I already got the impression that you were going to ruin my life if I was making this up a half-hour ago,” he says sardonically. “But I don’t have any reason to.” He frowns. “I just want to know what’s going on.” He cocks his head. “And so does that mean you  _ are  _ this Akari person? That…-”

“Kaede’s a fake name, yeah.” 

It doesn’t even feel real to say. That was never supposed to come out to  _ anyone.  _ But if the alternative is having Itona go to  **_Korosensei_ ** with this information then there’s nothing else she can do. She has to tell him the truth!

“...I made it up to get enrolled in this class. And I enrolled in this class to get revenge. Korosensei… he-” She pauses. “I was never interested in killing him for any of that prize money bullshit. I was interested in killing him because he was a **_murderer._** Because I saw the aftermath with my own two eyes. Before he was our teacher… Korosensei… he- **_he killed my sister._** At least… I thought.”

She gnaws on her lip.

“Turns out he only  **_tried_ ** to.”

And that’s not much better.

Itona frowns, taking a step closer. He doesn’t speak, however. He gives Akari time to finish her story. Unable to meet his eyes, she stares down at the ground.

“It was… in the lab where my sister worked. The same one Shiro comes from. There was a huge explosion one day and by the time I got there the place was already a bloodbath. I didn’t see her body… but I saw the place that she-  _ that  _ I believed she… y’know. There was this huge pool of blood and a note from the murderer. He said that… that he hurt all these people and that he blew up the moon. That he was going to do the same thing to the earth and that the only possible way to prevent it was allowing him to work at Kunugigaoka Junior High. That he wanted to… nurture the students there.”

“Of course I didn’t believe that for a second, but I knew what I had to do. I took any resources I could find and then I scrammed. Maybe an hour later I got the news officially… that my sister was gone. And my conviction hardened. I didn’t care that the whole wide world was inevitably searching for a way to kill him at this point.  _ I  _ **_knew_ ** I had to do it myself… I  _ knew  _ I had to make him pay… and so I… I-”

“You came here,” Itona finishes.

Akari gives a surprisingly meek nod. She’s still not ashamed of what she’s done… she’ll  _ never  _ be, but Itona is staring at her with such sympathetic eyes. It’s weirdly cathartic to tell someone about all of this after bottling it in for so long, and some part of her wants to cry… but she doesn’t let herself. She has a composure to maintain- an end goal to focus on.

“Indeed. I came here to get my revenge… to avenge my older sister. But if what you’re saying is true… then it’s possible I’ve been focusing on the wrong thing this entire time.” Her fist clenches. “I still hate Korosensei. I  _ really do.  _ But the thing that matters to me most is my sister… and if she’s alive then I…  **_I need to do something!”_ **

She shakes as she speaks… chokes on her breath. She hates herself for getting so worked up in front of someone else… but how could she  _ not?  _ The more she thinks about the scenario the more her heart races… and the pieces begin to come together in her mind.

“I-  _ I never thought about it at the time…  _ But it’s  **_weird_ ** that I didn’t see the body,” she continues. “I just…-- I just took Shiro and the authorities’ words for it. Usually I would  **_never…_ ** but even not seeing her body I  _ saw  _ what that place looked like. There were corpses everywhere. I just thought that it was… that it was inevitable that she was one of them.”

(And if she wasn't? Oh god. It makes too much sense. Yanagisawa is exactly the sort of person who would do this. Why didn't she see it sooner!?

The tentacles-- they had her so honed in on killing Korosensei she couldn't even think.  **_See the holes in his story)_ **

“But if she’s-  _ if she’s  _ **_not_ ** _ then rescuing her comes before even punishing her murderer.  _ Why didn’t I…  **_why didn’t I think of this sooner!?_ ** Of course there’s a possibility she’s alive! I just-- I just put those  **_things_ ** in me and then I couldn’t even think. What is  **_wrong_ ** with me!?”

Itona opens his mouth to speak, but Akari doesn’t let him. She raves, pacing in circles as she clutches at her head.

“I am so  **_stupid!_ ** If you’re-- if you’re right and she’s really alive in there- some kind of human experiment then…  **_then what am I doing!? I need to get her out of there! Now!_ ** Who cares about… about any of this- this school…- this revenge-  **_nonsense!_ ** It’s been  **_months!_ ** She has to be so scared! I’ve got to… I’ve got to  **_go.”_ **

She doesn’t even wait for Itona’s response… simply whips around and begins to make her way out of the alleyway. He reaches out to grab her hand, stopping her in her place and demanding to know exactly what it is she’s doing.

“What? Where are you going!?”

“Where do you  **_think!?”_ ** Akari replies. “I’m going to…- I’ve got to see if you’re telling the truth. If my sister is really in there then I’m  **_getting her out of there._ ** I’m going to…-  **_I’m going to fucking kill him.”_ **

“Are you  _ crazy?”  _ Itona replies. “You can’t do that alone.”

“As far as  _ you  _ know,” Akari growls. “I’ve got a few hidden blades you don’t know _ anything  _ about. And so don’t stop me.  _ I know what I’m doing.  _ You just stay here and make sure Korosensei doesn’t learn a thing. I’ll put him in his place in due time. But first… but first…-” Akari rasps for breath. “...I’m bringing my sister home.”

“Absolutely n-” Itona starts to say, but doesn’t get a chance to finish. As Akari unfurls her tentacles his grip goes stiff. And suddenly he stumbles backwards. Eyes wide with shock he whispers “Those are…- those are…-”

“None of your concern,” Akari interjects. “That… and my key to finally fixing things. Now get out of my way before I need to put you in your place, too. **_I’ve got places to be.”_ **

Itona’s jaw drops. And for a second Akari thinks she’s got him. She’s already marching off… thoughts of revenge swirling through her mind, when he takes a step back and says in a voice surprisingly stoic.

“...He’s got anti-sensei weapons and clothing, you know.”

Akari’s lip twitches. She shoots him an unimpressed look over her shoulder and says “Yeah. So?”

“And so those won’t help you.”

“Maybe they wouldn’t help  _ you,”  _ she replies. “But I know what I’m doing. I’m not just some dumb kid in over my head. I’ve been planning this for months. And I’ve  _ mastered  _ control of my tentacles. I don’t have anything to be scared of.”

“You say that like he hasn’t been preparing, either,” Itona replies. “I flipped out on him a few times and he restrained me with  **_ease._ ** He’s not just going to sit down and take it while you ‘fucking kill him.’ That guy is a man who researches this stuff for a  _ living.  _ He’s got to have a plan in place for this exact  _ scenario.  _ Don’t tell me you’re seriously rushing in there without a plan.”

Akari feels a twinge of irritation… and her tentacles unconsciously shudder. Some part of her knows deep down that Itona just wants best for her, but the other part of her feels almost mocked. How does  **_he_ ** know anything about what she can handle? He doesn’t even  _ know  _ her! He’s just trying to step in between her and her  _ sister. _

“I’m not,” she snaps. “I  **_have_ ** a plan, alright?”

“Okay, then. What is it?”

“...”

“See? You don’t. You just feel like you’re invincible right now. I know how it is. Those things make you think you’re  _ untouchable.  _ But  **_you’re_ ** not. I know you have to be angry and frustrated and overwhelmed right but think it through for just one  _ second.  _ You guys regularly defeated me as a team of Junior High Students. If you could do  _ that  _ then what chance do you think you have against a building of armed guards and scientists? You won’t last a minute.”

**_“So?_ ** It’s not like I have a choice!” Akari snaps, her rage building. “Any second I waste ‘planning’ is another second I leave her stuck in there alone. If she’s really…-  **_if she’s trapped and you’re not lying to me then I’ve got to GO!_ ** I’ve got to rescue her! I’ve got to-”

“To  _ what?”  _ Itona interjects. “Die? That’s not going to help her.”

“I’m not going to-”

“Yes.  _ You are,” _ Itona reiterates, giving her a deadly serious look. “For the last time I’m not lying to you: if I were I wouldn’t be showing concern for you trying to go to that place in the first place. But since I’m  **_not_ ** I’m  _ begging  _ you to just think this through. On top of everything else your sister has been through, do you really want her to lose you too?”

Akari pauses… fist clenched as she thinks that through. And then abruptly, hands shaking and eyes narrowed she whirls around. Her tentacles crack like a whip, stopping only  _ inches  _ from Itona’s face.

“Don’t say that,” she whispers.

“It’s true and you know it,” Itona says, unflinching. “And so look me in the eyes, Kayano.  _ Do you really think she deserves that?” _

There’s a conviction behind those bright golden eyes… and Itona stands tall, his own fist clenched. He stares at her, unblinking, and waits for a response.

More than anything, some part of Akari wants to believe that he’s trying to manipulate her. That would be a much easier option than any of the alternatives. But another part of her just can’t doubt that sincerity. Wants to believe that her sister's alive no matter the cost. And wants to believe that Itona wants what's best for her, too. But either way, does it even  _ matter!?  _ **_Either way, she can’t budge._ ** She’s still got to  _ go! _

“Of course not!” She replies, voice strained. “But I told you:  **_what else am I supposed to do!?_ ** I can’t leave her in there alone! If she’s really alive… then- then I’d rather die than do nothing!”

“But you’re saying that like you have to do this alone! You  _ don’t!” _

Akari freezes.

“And so you’re offering to come  _ with?” _

“I mean- n-  _ kind of!”  _ He replies. “Why don’t you just tell the rest of the class? Say what you said to me. If they learn that your family is in danger then they’ll be more than happy to help. And it’s not like they’re useless. With them by your side you’ll stand a  _ much  _ better chance then you would doing this alone. Together you guys… you can do almost  _ anything.” _

...A compelling thought. Akari’s seen what it is her classmates can do. Hayami’s an excellent marksman, and Karma can destroy pretty much anything that stands in his path. But even if Nagisa’s got a secret bloodlust or Ritsu top-tier hacking skills… can they  _ really  _ help her? She  **_knows_ ** what it is they treasure, and she  _ knows  _ that by leaning on them she’ll risk having her cover blown. After all, at least  **_one_ ** of them will have to-

_ “They’ll tell Korosensei.” _

“It’s certainly a possibility,” Itona says. “That, I’ll admit. But if it comes down to either dying and not getting your sister out of there at all or managing to get her out of there and potentially ruining your alibi then which would you prefer? You clearly care about her.”

“Of-  **_of course I do!”_ ** Kayano hisses. “I guess I’m just worried that-... that she won’t be there at all. What if you’re lying to me? What if Yanagisawa is lying to  _ you? _ What  _ then?  _ I’ll have… I’ll have given up on making her proud for  **_nothing.”_ **

“If you ask me, Korosensei finding out about this isn’t even such a bad thing after a-”

He doesn’t get to finish. Akari smacks him upside the head with a tentacle, sending him stumbling backwards and ultimately over onto the ground.

“I  _ told _ you I don’t want him to know,” she growls. “What don’t you get about that? He's bad, and if you try to tell him I  **_will_ ** kill you. He doesn’t deserve to know about my sister, and he doesn’t  **_deserve_ ** to know about my tentacles! He’s a  _ monster!” _

“Maybe so,” Itona says, struggling to his feet. “And  **_I_ ** won’t tell him. But I’m saying  _ you  _ should. I’m not doubting that he hurt your sister… and I don’t know your entire fucked up family situation, but Korosensei has done a  _ lot  _ of dumb shit for this class. If you frame it as something he’ll lose your respect for not doing then he  **_will._ ** He cares about what we think more than anything.”

“He’s  _ pretending  _ to-”

“Whether it’s an act or not he has a reputation to keep up!  _ Tell  _ him… and tell him if he won’t help out you’ll tell the rest of the class. Can you imagine how they’d react if they learned he refused to rescue an innocent lady? They’d lose their mind!” 

“And what if he gets pissed? Hurts me like he hurt my sister?”

“Then you can take it.” Itona drifts off. “Well… maybe not. But since when were you afraid of dying? You were being brash just a second ago. This is  _ much  _ less of a risk than the one you were about to take. He’s not going to kill you. It’s against his contract.” He pauses. “And if you really can’t bring yourself to tell him either way then at least say something to Karasuma… to Bitch-sensei. One of  _ them  _ should be able to help. And  **_they’re_ ** not going to snitch on you. I’m not telling you not to rescue your sister. But I  _ am  _ telling you to go about this in a smart way. Otherwise this will all be for nothing. And I think that the smartest way to…- listen: I’m no genius, but I think this class can do  _ anything  _ if they work together, and I know you know that too.”

He gives Akari a serious look. And unconsciously, she takes a step back.

...Teaming up with Korosensei. How does he make it sound like an appealing option?

She-  _ she can’t allow herself to be swayed!  _ She  _ promised  _ she’d kill him. But what if… she can’t do this alone? What if Aguri really  _ is  _ relying on her? Then can she risk screwing this up? She’s been through the tentacles herself. She  _ knows  _ how painful it is. Thinking about Aguri… sweet, selfless Aguri suffering like that… it makes her want to projectile vomit. No matter the cost, she can’t risk  _ leaving her there! _

But what if…  _ what if…- _

**_What if she’s not alive at all?_ **

_ ‘You told us you wanted to be a killer,’  _ her tentacles whisper, digging deep into her skull. Her head pounds. Her vision starts to dance.  _ ‘Don’t tell me you’re backing out on that now.’ _

_ ‘Of… of course not!’  _ Akari argues. _ ‘I’ll get him! I will! But before I do… I… I…-” _

She staggers to the side, propping herself up against a nearby building. Yanagisawa’s face appears clear in her mind.

**_‘...I’ve got a more important person I need to kill.’_ **

And all at once the tentacles relent. They slither back into her nape and the migraine subsides. She rubs at her temples, bloodlust rising in her gut, and just  _ imagining  _ what she’ll do to him when she gets her hands on him.

_ (She’ll do something even worse than what she’s going to do to Korosensei.) _

Itona steps forward, opening his mouth to speak, but Akari beats him to it. She straightens herself up and speaks with a serious tone.

“Fine,” she says, eyes narrowed. “I’ll do it. I don’t want to, but…” she pauses. “You’re right. I don’t have much of a choice. However,” she continues. “If it comes out that you were lying to me, that you were even just  _ wrong...  _ I will make you  **_suffer,_ ** Itona. Your friends… your family… I will find them, and I will make your life  _ hell.  _ Don’t think Korosensei knowing about even a  _ fraction  _ of this will save him. I am  **_still_ ** going to get my revenge. And if my sister is not in there then I will kill not just him, but  _ all of you.  _ **_Do you understand?”_ **

“I…” Itona hesitates, shooting her a genuinely troubled look. All the same, his expression soon returns to that neutral norm of his, and he gives a firm nod. 

“...I understand. But you don’t have to worry about that. I know what I saw and I… I don’t intend to be wrong.”

“Good,” Akari replies, nodding back. “In that case…”

She turns around.

“And where exactly are you going?” Itona asks, if only just to be cautious.

“What does it look like?” Akari replies. “Back to campus. I’ve got a story to share and an octopus to make a deal with.”

Because even hating Korosensei-- even hating him more than  _ anything--  _ he’s her only chance. And if there is even a  _ possibility  _ her sister is still alive then she cannot risk wasting that.

...She just hopes she won’t end up regretting this later.

* * *

“Hey! Sensei? Can we talk?”

Akari’s had maybe a half an hour to recompose herself… and she’s back to her usual unassuming and bubbly demeanor. As she approaches the school building she puts on a bright smile and gives a big wave. With a skip to her step, she concludes that no-one could ever guess what happened if they didn’t know any better.

...And know better they don’t. Korosensei’s out in front of the building grading papers. He flashes her a jovial smile as she makes her way towards him and waves back. Then, setting his papers to the side he starts to stand.

“Ah! Kayano! Of course!” He replies. “What is it? I didn’t expect to see you stopping by the school so soon after class let out.”

Akari gives a giggle. “Yeah. Me neither,” she says. “But some stuff came up, and… well…” She gives a shrug. “I just had to come  _ crawling  _ back. Mind if we step inside? It’s sort of a private matter.”

“Of course not,” Korosensei replies. “Just give me one second to…-” He disappears in a flash, then returns; giving a salute.  _ “There!  _ Worksheets all stashed away! Follow me. The teacher’s lounge should be free.”

With that, he steps inside. Akari follows after, sticking close to his side.

“And so Bitch-sensei and Karasuma-sensei aren’t here I’m taking it?” She asks innocuously. 

“Nope!” Korosensei replies. “Miss Irina’s off doing whatever it is she does after work, and Karasuma’s taking a meeting... probably something about  _ killing me…  _ nothing interesting. Why?”

“Oh... no reason,” Akari replies. “I was just curious.”

Some part of her almost wishes Karasuma-sensei was here… but on the other hand she doesn’t really trust him, either. Plus, if this all ends up falling through she’d like to be able to manipulate him to take her side… and so this all kind of works out. 

Just in case she needs any documentation she’s got a hidden camera pinned to the lapel of her shirt… so she won’t need to worry about having a witness, either. Whatever happens here will be immortalized. At least… whatever Korosensei says. If something  _ she  _ doesn’t particularly want coming out comes up, then she can still edit it.

Korosensei makes his way into the room. He plops himself down at the teacher’s desk and motions for her to sit herself across from him. She gives him a nod, sliding into the seat as he asks “And so what is it?”

“Well… I’ve just been wondering about something,” she sheepishly admits. “You care for us all a whole lot, right, Korosensei?”

He blinks… taken aback.

“Of course,” he says blankly. “More than anything.”

“And you care what we think of you, right?”

“Well… yes,” he admits. “You students are my pride and joy. I don’t know what I’d do if you thought little of me.”

“Which means that you’d do almost anything for us, right? Because you love us so much? Because you don’t want to let us down?”

“Indeed,” Korosensei says without hesitation. “I wasn’t aware that was ever up for questioning. Why?”

“Well… I was just wondering if you’d be willing to rescue a person for me…-”

“Rescue?” Korosensei asks.

_“_ Yes,” Akari says with a nod. “Let me clarify, alright? I was just wondering if you’d be willing to rescue a person you _tried to kill_ for me. That’s all.”

She says it casually; flashes a bright smile... but Korosensei’s utterly taken aback. He freezes in place-- jolting, slightly, as his face goes a shock-blue. For a split-second, it’s a darker blue... something sorrowful, but it soon returns to its usual hue. And as his surprise begins to fade he steeples his fingers, cocks his head, and admits:

“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about, Kayano.” 

“Oh… yes you do,” she says. He makes his statement so blankly, but she picks up on the apprehension behind it. And besides… if that really  _ were  _ the truth then wouldn’t he say something like ‘I’ve never killed anyone before,’  _ not  _ ‘I-! Uh! I don’t know what that means?’ What sort of bad liar spouts nonsense like  _ that?  _ The only part of that sentence he wouldn’t comprehend is that his victim is still  _ alive.  _

“At least… I’m pretty sure,” she continues, still smiling. “And so why don’t you listen to me? It’s  _ important.  _ Recently I received information from a contact of mine that I realized might interest you… namely that that Shiro guy we’ve been fighting is keeping someone captive in his lab and experimenting on them. Which is pretty horrifying on its own, but get this: through some… other information I got a hold of I learned that you  _ knew  _ the person he’s keeping there… even if it’s not exactly on friendly terms.”

“Wait. Wait. Wait,” Korosensei interjects. “Shiro is doing  _ what?” _

“Experimenting on someone.”

“Like with Itona?”

“I presume. But let’s not get distracted. This is about  _ you  _ right now,” Akari says, pointing an accusatory finger. 

“Of course I’d be willing to try and help someone out of that situation, Kayan-"

**_“Let me finish,”_ ** Akari interrupts. “Like I was saying this is  _ someone I believe you knew before you came to work here…  _ and I am  _ not  _ letting you skew the narrative away from that. Pray tell, Korosensei… do you recognize the name Aguri Yukimura?”

And all at once… Korosensei stops  _ dead. _

He goes shock blue again… and this time it doesn’t fade. Eyes wide, hands shaking, he asks “How… how do  _ you  _ know about that?”

“And so you  _ do  _ know,” Akari replies. “Great! I would have been  _ really  _ mad if you kept lying to me. As for how I know… I did some digging on you. That, and saw you flying away from the crime scene myself. It’s a long story… and I’m not really here to discuss any of that, what matters here is-”

“Aguri,” Korosensei finishes, voice strained. “You’re saying she’s…” he drifts off, seemingly talking to himself more than anything. He whispers something under his breath... slides out of his seat and starts to pace. But Akari’s keeping a trained eye on him. If he tries to bolt she’ll decapitate him right here and now. There’s no avoiding what he’s done.

“No… no,” he murmurs. “It’s not possible. Where did you learn this information? I mean… it’s just not possible that Aguri’s being experimented on. She’s-”

“Dead?” Akari asks. “Yeah. I thought so, too… and I’m sure you really  _ hoped  _ so, but life is full of surprises. And as for where I got my information: Itona. He told me himself. Said he saw it back there while he was working with that jackass. Described her perfectly and everything.” She pauses. “I can call him in if you really don’t believe me. Unless that’s not the reason you’re hesitating? If you were just hoping she’d stay buried then I’m afraid it’s too late for that. Aguri is alive... and you are going to help me rescue her or  _ else.” _

“Or  _ else?” _

“Yeah. Or  **_else,”_ ** Akari confirms. “I came here to ask you nicely… and this is me doing that. This is me saying ‘Hey, Korosensei, if you really care about me then you’re gonna help me do this thing.’ But even if you’re not willing to cooperate with  _ that  _ I have a backup plan. So give it to me straight, alright? If I were to try and stage a rescue operation for this person, would you be willing to help me out… or would you prefer to stand by?”

Korosensei is quiet for a very long moment. Face blue… little beads of sweat dripping down his face, his fingers twitch and his pacing quickens. Akari swears she catches sight of watery eyes, but soon banishes the thought. He’s upset to have been caught in the lie. That’s all.

When he goes upwards of thirty seconds without responding she starts to feel irritation rise in her gut. How can this be a question with anything except a ‘yes’ answer!? Someone is in danger! Someone  **_really_ ** good! He can’t possibly just stand by--

“For the record,” she says, breaking the silence. “If you don’t agree I will not only  _ kill you,  _ but I will tell the  _ entire class  _ about what you did. I will  _ soil  _ your memory. And then I will do this  **_myself._ ** If you care at  _ all  _ about keeping me safe, then I’m going to need you to-”

“I… I do-” Korosensei interrupts, voice shaky. “I care about you. I just… just…-” he heaves for breath. “Just give me a minute, okay? I need to compose my thoughts. I am… very bad with stressful situations.”

‘Good,’ Akari thinks, suppressing a sneer. ‘It’s what you deserve.’ But she does shut her yap. As much as she wants to see him suffer she’d prefer to get an actual answer.

After maybe a minute of rubbing at his temples and breathing heavily Korosensei straightens himself up. He inhales through his mouth… the color returning to his face, before he turns to her and speaks. 

“Kayano,” he says. “Of course I’d be happy to help you. I’m not sure you know this, but… Aguri was actually the most important person to me. I’d do anything for her.”

**_...What?_ **

No.  _ No.  _ That’s just another lie.  _ That’s  _ what he needed a minute to compose… not  _ himself!  _ Akari feels a burning start to radiate from the back of her neck… and some part of her is tempted to just go after him right there and then. But another part of her is surprisingly taken aback. The way that Korosensei says that. Why…

...Why does it sound so  _ wounded? _

“Now I’m not sure what you’ve heard or seen… but I’m afraid I need to put a stop to it right now. This narrative you’ve constructed… it’s simply not true,” Korosensei admits. “Aguri and I…- I never anticipated having to talk to any of you about any of this, but we were  _ friends.” _

Friends? For a second she humors it… but just as soon the rage returns. She will  _ not  _ let this monster get into her head. Fist clenched… voice a whisper, she murmurs, “Liar.”

“Pardon?” Korosensei asks.

**_“LIAR!”_ ** Akari repeats. “Don’t you dare even  **_try_ ** that on me! I  **_saw_ ** what happened! I  **_saw_ ** pictures of the body! And I  **_saw_ ** you leaving the building! I’m not going to be tricked! I know what you did! **_You killed her!"_ **

“N-”

_ “Yes! _ **_You did!”_ ** She shrieks. “You took her away! You murdered her! You don’t get to- you don’t get to change the story in hindsight. You-!”

“I didn’t!” Korosensei interjects, rushing to her side. He attempts to grab her wrist, but she tears it away… and his hand goes limp. Staring into her furious eyes he admits, “Er… well,  _ maybe  _ I did. But please… just listen to me. I can explain.”

Akari’s trembling. She knows she’s lost her cool… but she just can’t help it.  _ He’s claiming to have cared about the person he  _ **_murdered!_ ** She doesn’t want to hear a word of that! At least… until she remembers that Aguri might not have been  _ murdered  _ at all. As much as she hates this, she needs to find a way to get Aguri out of there first and foremost. She'll just have to grit and bear it.

“...Fine,” she says, voice flat. “What’s your alibi?”

“You’re right in that I knew Aguri… and you’re right, partially, in that perhaps I was responsible for her death. But it was in  _ no way _ intentional. What happened in that building was a horrible mistake… and one I regret to this day, but I  _ never  _ intentionally harmed her… I can promise you that. While I took credit for it, she was impaled by an autonomous missile. My biggest crime in the situation was negligence. And although that’s no excuse, I  _ do  _ hope that helps you understand some of what is going on.” 

He watches Akari carefully… before stepping away. “Now…” he says. “You don’t have to believe me about that, of course, but there are more important things to focus on. If she’s really alive what are we going to do about it? And how, exactly, do you know this person that I knew, too?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Akari replies. “We’re going to rescue her. As for how I know her…” she drifts off. “It doesn’t matter, really.”

“I believe it does.”

Akari stares at Korosensei. She still doesn’t believe the entirety of his story... and the tentacles are beginning to creep up into the crevices of her mind again, but she has a feeling if she doesn’t give him at least  _ some  _ sort of an answer he’s not going to budge. _ God damn it.  _ She supposes she’ll have to be vague.

“We’re family,” she says awkwardly. “Or at least… something like that.  _ There. _ Does that satisfy you?”

Korosensei’s quiet. A contemplative look on his face, he stands utterly still. But then recognition seems to dawn in his eyes… and he darts forward, taking Akari by the hand.

_ “It’s  _ **_you!”_ **

Akari tugs away, eyes wide and sputtering _ “Wh-” _

**_“Akari!_** I mean… she talked about you… she looked just like you… you’re in the exact right age range! It _is_ you, isn’t it?” He freezes. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize it earlier! I suppose I just didn’t want to think about…- I wasn’t really in a situation where I’d recognize- No! That’s of no concern!” He shakes his head. “What matters is that you’re here! Why?” And slowly… his expression falls. “...I wasn’t aware that you were aware of any of this. Have you been hurting?”

His expression is surprisingly sympathetic. But all the same… Akari’s disgusted. She’s mad to have been caught in the act, and even madder to have possibly thrown her entire act away for  _ nothing.  _ Biting down on her lip and reminding herself that this is for Aguri’s sake, she shakes her head and tears her grip away from Korosensei.

“Besides the point,” she says. “Who I am… doesn’t matter. And quite frankly I wouldn’t be obligated to explain to you even if it _ did.” _ She pauses. “Who you are doesn’t matter right now either. What matters is that Aguri’s alive… and that we’ve got to do something. _ Are you going to help me or not?” _

Korosensei looks ready to argue, but must decide against it. Filing that piece of information away in the back of his mind, he says, “Yes. I told you: Y _ es.  _ I may not be aware of what you know about me… and  _ you _ may be getting a wrong interpretation of my relationship with your sister, but I am trying to compose a plan as we speak. I just need a minute to…- this could be dangerous.”

“No shit,” Akari replies. “But if you’re really so  _ distraught and regretful  _ about what happened to her or whatever then you’d best be willing to take that risk.” She clicks her tongue. “If you don’t… I’ll face this alone. That, or drag my classmates into it. Is  _ that  _ what you want? We might not be able to handle this on our own.”

She hates to admit it, but it’s true. She wouldn’t be here telling him any of this in the first place if it weren’t.

_“...Ritsu,”_ Korosensei whispers. **_“RITSU!_** Get in here! Now!” He doesn’t wait for an answer, however. He dashes off, returning to the room a split second later with her whole monitor in tow.

The cyber girl curiously peeks her head up onto the screen. Looking rather confused she says “Yeah? Do you need me?”

“Indeed,” Korosensei says. “I was wondering if you could do a favor for us. Do you think you’d be able to obtain and analyze the lab reports from a local research facility? We’re looking out for a specific name.”

“Probably,” Ritsu says. “I’ve been working on my hacking skills. Why?”

“We believe someone is in danger,” Korosensei admits. “...The lab is Yukimura Pharmaceuticals. Be on the lookout for the names Aguri Yukimura or Kotaro Yanagisawa. They’re important.”

“Noted!” Ritsu says with a salute. “I can do a quick scan. I can’t promise to be able to grab  _ everything…  _ some locations have their information all kinds of encrypted, but-”

“That’s fine,” Korosensei says. “Anything helps.”

And with that… Ritsu disappears. Korosensei turns to Akari, instructing her to call Itona immediately.

“If he has any more information, then I’m going to want to hear this.”

He’s deadly serious. 

It’s an attitude she’s never seen from Korosensei before. Usually he’s incompetent... fumbling and weak, but at the moment he’s actually got his head screwed on straight. Why? Could this… could this mission really be as important to him as it is to her?

‘No,’ she thinks instantly. ‘Of course not. No-one will ever feel what  _ you’re  _ feeling right now. That’s your sister in there.’ But all the same, she soon comes to the realization that it’s strange that Korosensei knew her name at all. To know that she’s Aguri’s sister… that would have to require context from either her or Aguri… and  **_she_ ** certainly didn’t give it out. Maybe Korosensei  _ did  _ get a chance to talk to Aguri after all.

Whatever.  _ Whatever.  _ There’s no focusing on it now. Whatever amount of truth there is hiding behind his story that’s something for her to deal with later. He’s right: she needs to get in contact with Itona.

She calls him up... and he picks up the phone pretty much instantly. Slightly skeptical, he asks if everything’s alright.

“No. Yes -  _ of course not,”  _ Akari replies. “Listen-  _ whatever.  _ All that matters is that I went to talk to Korosensei and we need you here immediately. The more details you can give us the better.”

“Oh thank fuck,” She hears Itona whisper. “You actually went to him. That’s good.” He pauses. “I'll be over there as soon as possible. It’s a forty-minute walk, thou-”

“Nonsense,” Korosensei interjects, leaning over to whisper into the phone. “You needn’t walk. Just step outside and let me know where you are. I’ll pick you up in a jiffy.”

“I…-” Itona drifts off, as if taking a moment to process just how fucking crazy that sounds. “Okay. I’m outside of…” He hesitates. “The warehouse on Hōmuresu Street. You know the one.”

“Indeed!” Korosensei says. “Now excuse me for one minute, Kayano. I’ve got to pick up our contact.”

He doesn’t wait for a response. With all the neurotic energy of a man completely on edge, he’s off. He’s back before Akari can even fully process it, however... Itona in tow.

He sets him down carefully, giving the boy a firm nod.

“...Woah,” Itona says, still in a state of shock. “That was fast.” But he quickly brushes off any state of bewilderment. Turning towards Akari, he gives her a serious look.

“How have things gone?”

...She’s hesitant to say ‘good,’ but somehow it feels like ‘bad’ would be a misleading answer, too.

“He agreed to help rescue her,” she decides on, turning her head from Itona’s worried gaze. “Now we’re just waiting for further information.”

And further information soon arises. Ritsu pops onto the screen once more, proudly holding up a stack of ZIP files. 

“I’m back!” She chides. “It’s not a ton, but I grabbed what I could find.”

Itona’s whole body jolts. Hissing in through his teeth he says “Holy shit-  _ when did _ **_you_ ** _ get in here!?” _

“Korosensei brought me!” Ritsu replies with a smile. “I’m still not sure why!”

“You’ll… see soon enough, I believe.”

Akari steps forward. “Just show it to us,” she demands. “What did you find?”

“Well… as I expected, most of the files were encrypted,” Ritsu admits. “I could have tried to unlock them with more time, but I was worried about setting off their alarms. I wanted to get in there and out before they realized anyone had accessed their cloud in the first place. And… even in a hurry, I found some pretty interesting stuff.”

“Namely a folder labeled Antimatter And Matter Generating Cells In Lifesaving Operations And Cellular Replacement Procedures. In  _ that  _ folder there was another folder labeled Subject 2… but I wasn’t able to get into most of the files in it aside from a few weird reports from lower-ranking scientists. They… weren’t much, really. Just- um… talking about a female subject. Something about her attempting to get into their minds?”

“I couldn’t access a ton of other documents on the network… but I also found files for Subjects 1, 3, and 4 in a different folder labeled Antimatter Generating Cells In Weaponry And Bodily Mutation. One of the files was… like, a strangely smaller size than the others, too. While there were tons of documents in 1, 2 and 4, I couldn’t find  _ anything  _ aside from a single Word Document labeled ‘observations’ in 3.”

“And… finally, while I was digging through their trash I found a discarded photograph. Something along the lines of ‘March13(1)?’ I think they accidentally copied a file and failed to dispose of the double-up properly. Here’s what it looks like. It’s honestly some pretty sinister stuff.” 

As she speaks Akari’s lost in thought. She scrambles to take mental notes. ‘Female,’ she thinks… and so he  _ does  _ have a subject who’s a girl. Subjects 1, 2, 3 and 4? That would have to be… Korosensei, Aguri, Itona and  _ her.  _ But why wouldn’t he have notes on Itona? Or is that about  _ \- no,  _ it has to be her… she came first, after all. But she’s not one of his fucking experiments! She did all of this on her own, and besides--

All of Akari’s thoughts  **_cease_ ** as she sees just what Ritsu’s pulled up onto the screen.

There… on the dark, rectangular monitor displays a picture of a woman. In her early twenties, and with short black hair that falls past her face, the subject is  _ unmistakable.  _ Dressed in patients’ gowns and pinned to the table by metal restraints… her eyes are wide, but not with the vacant stare of death, no:

Her eyes are wide… and she’s  _ alive,  _ and she’s  **_afraid._ **

Akari feels her heart drop to her stomach. Knees weak… hands shaking, she locks eyes with the photograph. She thinks she hears Itona say something… Korosensei respond, but she doesn’t make out a word of it. All that exists right now are her, the picture of Aguri, and the deep-seated rage  **_boiling_ ** in her chest.

She’s just about to collapse when she feels Korosensei grab her hand.

He’s got this indecipherable expression on his face… heartbroken and relieved all at once. His skin’s a deep, sorrowful blue… and when he squeezes Akari’s hand she feels his shake, too.

Some part of her wants to tear her grip away…-- she  **_won’t_ ** accept condolences from him right now! But try as she might to will herself, she can’t move a muscle. 

“It’s really her,” she finally whispers, hardly sure of what else to say.

“...It’s really her,” Korosensei confirms, not sure what to say himself.

Slowly… his grip tightens on Akari’s palm. He turns towards her and gives her a serious look. 

“But we are going to do something…  _ I promise we are going to do something.  _ Really her… really alive means there’s still a chance we can get her out of there. I will not  **_rest_ ** until I’ve seen this solved.”

It’s only after a long moment that Akari’s finally able to tear her hand away for real. Somehow she feels comforted in the way that his shakes, too.

“Okay,” she says with a tiny nod. “We better.”

Her gaze hardens, but her heart is hardly in it.

“Who… is this person?” Ritsu asks. “I suppose I could do a quick Google search, but I wanted to get in and out of there as soon as possible.”

“A friend,” Korosensei responds. “She’s… a good friend of ours.”

“And indeed the person I saw,” Itona confirms. “I recognize that face.” He pauses. “She looked a little different by the time I saw her, but… she has the same eyes.”

“We need to start planning,” Korosensei says immediately. “This is going to be difficult. The lab is no doubt going to be reinforced after what happened last time… and so we need to be prepared. Itona? Do you know the location?”

“Of course.”

“And you don’t?” Akari asks, skeptical. “I thought you destroyed i-”

“I did,” Korosensei interjects. “But I wasn’t sure if they’d moved it or not. Now...” he turns. “Do you think you’d be able to start mapping out the layout you remember? The more info we have on the premise the better.”

“Can do,” Itona replies. “I can’t promise it’ll be perfect, but…-”

“Anything helps. Don’t worry about that.”

“I can try to look at security cams,” Ritsu pipes up. “They might not have them everywhere, but it’s a start.”

“That would be wonderful,” Korosensei replies. “Try to keep an eye out for Anti-Sensei weapons and materials. I need to know what I can handle and what I’ll be relying on you guys for.”

“Is the rest of the class coming along?” Ritsu asks, curious.

“Well… Kayano seemed to be fond of the idea of-”

**_“Of course they’re coming along,”_ ** Akari speaks up. She’d hardly been listening up until this point… she’s in too much of a daze, but  _ that  _ she’s not willing to budge on. “Itona pointed out that we can do pretty much anything when we’re working together. If it’ll make our odds of success even a  _ bit  _ better then it’s a plan we’ve got to go through with. There’s too much riding on this not to.”

“I’m well aware,” Korosensei replies. “I just worry that… it’s dangerous.”

Now  _ that  _ makes Akari scowl.

“You say that like you haven’t put us in danger before,” she snaps. “Kanzaki and I were kidnapped. Takaoka tried to poison half the class. We’ve had dangerous people banging down on our door from day one. How is this any different? This is a risk we’ve  _ got  _ to take.” She pauses. “...Unless rescuing my sister isn’t worth it to you?”

Her words are like knives: pointed and deliberate accusations. Korosensei lets out a deep sigh, shutting his eyes as he thinks.

“Very well then,” he says. “I will… let them know and offer them the chance to come along. I will  **_not_ ** be forcing anyone, however. As much as I’ll be relying on the humans here to deal with what I can’t, I still can’t risk endangering your lives.” 

Some part of Akari is willing to think ‘I would,’ ‘Who cares if they die? At least it’d bring my sister back…’ but she feels bad just as she does. They may be  **_much_ ** less important to her than the outcome of this mission… but that doesn’t make them disposable pawns, does it? Those are her friends!

(The tentacles slink up into her mind and begin to stab. ‘You said you’d do anything to reach your goal, didn’t you?’) 

...Indeed, she did.

Still, she doesn’t argue. She’s sure all of them will agree, anyways.

They’re rash in the face of danger.

“Very well then,” she replies. “That works for me.”

“Which does bring me to our next question,” Korosensei admits. “Who else are we telling? If we’re letting the class in on this are we informing Karasuma and Irina-sensei as well?”

“...Absolutely not,” Akari says before even fully thinking it through. “We’ve got enough people involved as is. And besides…” She drifts off. She’s got this weird gut feeling. “I don’t trust them.” 

Perhaps she’d have wanted Karasuma involved if she couldn’t get Korosensei’s cooperation… but with the octopus on board? No way. Anything he does gets reported straight to the higher-ups… and if  **_they_ ** think the kids are in danger then they’re going to stop him for sure. If he had a good heart, maybe… but Karasuma just strikes her as this kind of ingenuine guy. He won’t give a shit that her sister’s suffering… he’ll tell her that that’s just how life is sometimes.

And as for Irina… she’s a huge phony. Not only is she, like, pretty terrible at her job, but she’s even less trustworthy than Karasuma. Akari doesn’t trust her to not get the word out.

Korosensei sighs.

“Very well then,” he replies. “I must… be inclined to agree. Of course I tru-  _ I deeply respect my fellow teachers,  _ but Karasuma… he…” he pauses. “...He won’t be happy with this. We’ll have to tell them sooner or later, but that can wait until  _ after  _ we get Aguri out of that place, consequences be damned.”

“Yeah,” Akari says. “No ifs or buts.”

From there it all seems to come together. They strike at midnight. The dark will help give them cover. Korosensei says he’ll stop by every student’s house and let them know he’s giving a debriefing of ‘something important’ at ten. Usually, he’d be worried about one of them snitching to Karasuma… but he has a feeling their sense of mischievousness will win out.

At least… until they realize this isn’t something very fun at all.

They agree not to tell the class  _ everything…  _ just what they need to know. Any further exposition can wait until after the rescue. For now they’ve got to have a tight focus.

As Itona and Akari plan, Korosensei disperses to inform them all. He returns before they even know it… and Ritsu continues to snoop, careful not to trip any wires. The four of them discuss what their classmates will be best at… who can do what, and what abilities they might just have to use to their advantage. It’s during that conversation that Itona brings up what he probably shouldn’t.

“Do you plan to use your… y’know?”

Akari pauses. 

Quite frankly she hasn’t expected those to come up. But this is what she gets for letting them show in front of Itona.

“...Yeah,” she says. “I think I would have preferred to keep these my little secret, but if it’s really too late now, then…” She slowly unfurls her tentacles from her neck. “Ah well… there’s probably no use in hiding it, anyways. These were  _ definitely  _ going to come out at the lab. After all… I’m going to use them to fight with everything I’ve got.”

Korosensei stares. Eyes wide, he says “You’ve-”

“Got tentacles?” Akari finishes. “Yeah? What about it?”

“Admittedly  _ I’m  _ just worried that you won’t be in your right mind for a heist,” Itona admits. “What if you… y’know: lose control?”

“I won’t,” Akari says simply.

“Woah. Woah.  **_Woah,”_ ** Korosensei murmurs. “I was  _ not  _ made aware of this. We need to get those out of you  _ immediately-" _

He rushes to Akari’s side, but she stumbles out of the way. Eyes narrowed, she says “Absolutely not.”

“You are in  _ grave  _ danger.”

“And I’m well aware. But rescuing Aguri comes first. You said it yourself when Itona joined the class: tentacles can’t be removed unless the participant is willing… and I don’t intend to let my conviction waver until my sister is safe. If you really care so much about protecting me, then all you’ve got to do is hurry up.”

It’s funny… part of keeping her tentacles is as a countermeasure to still be able to harm Korosensei. But it turns out physically isn’t the only way they can do that.

...His expression falls.

“You’ve got to promise me,” he says. “That you will let me take those away if we succeed.”

“I’ll see about it,” Akari replies. 

“Kaede-”

“I told you I’d _ see,”  _ she repeats. “And that’s the only answer you’re getting. Why do you care so much, anyways? Are you afraid I have a way of fighting back?”

“Of course not,” he responds. “But I promised to protect you all…-”

“And I’ll be  **_fine._ ** I’ve been maintaining these for a very long time now. I haven’t keeled over dead yet, have I?”

“Well…-” Korosensei drifts off. He looks troubled. If she didn’t, y’know… sort of loathe him, Akari would almost understand. He’s just been hit with a pretty big revelation, hasn’t he?

“Arguing isn’t going to get us anywhere,” Itona says. “It’s clear she’s not going to budge. And so just let it be.”

“Exactly-”

“But you,” he continues, pointing a finger at Akari. “You listen to him and take those out once you’re satisfied. Again: you’re not invincible. And the last thing your sister needs right now is-”

“Me dead. I  _ know,”  _ Akari interrupts. “...Fine. Whatever. Yeah. If I feel I can trust you then they can go. But until then…-”

“...You can keep them,” Korosensei’s voice is strained. It’s clear he doesn’t like this compromise, but they’re at an impasse. Akari gives a firm nod. It’s surprisingly cathartic to be able to feel like the one in control here.

“However,” he specifies. “Please don’t utilize those in the fight against Yanagisawa, Kayano. It is entirely possible the only reason you’ve gotten by this long without a horrible rebound is the lack of usage. Weaponizing your tentacles could put your body into shock.”

Akari feels a tentacle twitch. Somehow she sincerely doubts that. She’s got these  _ mastered,  _ okay? And even if she  _ did  _ get hurt it wouldn’t matter as long as she accomplished her goal.

“I’ll try not to,” she says, if only just to sate him. “But if it comes to it I’ll do what I have to. If I have to hurt myself to save my sister then… so be it.”

Korosensei’s face goes pale, but he knows better than to argue. Instead… stepping in closer to her, he places a tentacle on her shoulder.

“Thankfully,” he says. “I don’t think it  _ will  _ come to that.  **_I’ll_ ** take care of the dangerous things before you have to worry about any of that. We’ll carry this together as a team. That way you won’t have to fight for your sister’s safety alone.” He pauses. “...That way none of us will have to sacrifice ourselves.”

He says that so confidently… so  _ close  _ to reassuring. But still, in the moment before Akari elbows him away, she swears she notes his hands shaking once more. Brave as he pretends to be, he’s afraid.

...Yeah. There’s a lot of things riding on this for all of them.

(Her sister’s life,  _ and  _ her own.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ABOUT TIME, isn't it? We're FINALLY out of Aguri's perspective... and I'm more than welcome for that. As much as I love her, I don't think I could have taken writing about her situation for too much longer.
> 
> And what a relief it was to write about her sister. It was fantastic to finally let Akari in on all of this. I had fun writing her as manipulative and conniving, only for her to immediately lose her cool. Usually I don't think she'd confess to her lies, but she's dealing with something kind of unprecedented here.
> 
> I hope her angry and calculative behavior didn't make her too unsympathetic. I didn't want to risk defanging her of the deeply vengeful attitude she has in canon. I'm sure she'll calm down a LITTLE bit once her tentacles are removed, but for now she's unhinged central.
> 
> ...Poor Itona. I sure hope he gets an apology when Akari's back in her right mind.
> 
> I really enjoyed writing Akari getting to threaten Korosensei. It was cathartic in a weird sort of way, and I loved portraying him as legitimately taken aback.
> 
> But... yes. It's true: our crew is finally preparing to rescue Aguri. And next chapter they'll be setting out. Look forward to that! >:) I can't wait to see how this inevitably goes tits up.
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were Something Isn't Right Here from Bring It On, Interlude IV by Zach Callison, Let Me Make You Proud (Reprise) and Nothing Left To Lose from Tangled: The Series, and Sax Rohmer #1 by The Mountain Goats.
> 
> The next chapter will also be up in two weeks, but the one after that will be coming just a week later. They're a set of chapters you're gonna wanna read close to each other.
> 
> Usually this is the part where I'd go 'Alright! That's all for this week. Hope you enjoyed.' But first I've actually got something pretty important to talk about.
> 
> ...Ao3.
> 
> [The following discusses pedophilia and how it's become rampant in fandom spaces. If you're not comfortable with that (Completely understandably) then you can stop reading now. That's all I have to say about the chapter itself. I just want to raise awareness about this]
> 
> As I'm sure you all know, Ao3 considers itself a bastion for /all/ sorts of fandom content. And /usually/ I'd agree with this. But recently there was a controversy about a stance that Ao3 took, and I want you all not only to know about said controversy, but to know that I in /no way stand behind Ao3 and it's staff stance on it./
> 
> Namely: their stance on real person fic, and NSFW fics involving minors.
> 
> This all came up because someone found a NSFW fic of the 16 year old Minecraft Youtuber dream with PICTURES OF HIS FACE ATTATCHED. When reported, Ao3 said it didn't go against their terms of service, and refused to terminate the fic.
> 
> This is a huge problem.
> 
> If you're someone with morals, I'm sure you understand why. This is unprecedented and INSANELY creepy. It's something I almost considered leaving Ao3 over, and something that gave me TONS of grief over the past two weeks. However, the more I thought about it, the more good I felt I could do by staying.
> 
> I want to use my presence here to speak out against that sort of behavior. Even if Ao3's STAFF won't do something, we, the users, have the ability to make sure those people aren't welcome in fandom spaces. Right now they are TOO comfortable, and that is unacceptable. There is a place for darkfic, but writing it of real people is towing the line, and writing it /of a real kid, only to post it in a place where he can see/ is fucking REPULSIVE.
> 
> This sort of thing has been normalized in fandom. This ship and let ship. But I want you to think about it. REALLY think about it. A teacher would be fired if they were found writing this sort of content. Someone would be LAMBASTED if they brought it up at a friendly gathering. This behavior is considered unacceptable for a reason.
> 
> Do NOT let writing just anything being seen as acceptable become the standard. Do NOT let fandom become a breeding ground for pedophiles and grooming. Please, PLEASE spread the word and let these people know that they are NOT WELCOME on your fics. Share the word in your own authors' notes. And most importantly: PLEASE let kids know that this behavior is not normal. If you are 18 or under, ESPECIALLY under 16, then I want you to know that any adult writing that kind of content is not someone you're safe around. Please use your best judgement, and make sure to stay safe.
> 
> Again: I understand darkfic. This IS a darkfic. But there's a point where you have to draw the line-- and smut of a real teenager with pictures of him attached is far beyond that. Shame on the Ao3 staff.
> 
> All of... that aside, I do genuinely hope you enjoyed the chapter. Make sure to let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon.


	7. Out Of There Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for body horror, child injury, sexist comments, and some general panic. As always, enjoy!

Korosensei stops by her house a little past 9.

Akari’s already getting ready to head out to the school when he raps on her door. She slinks over and peers through the peephole before sliding it open. Still skeptical, she asks what he wants.

“I just figured I should check up on you,” he responds. “Make sure you’re okay… offer you transportation. How have things been? Do you feel ready?”

Akari shoots him a tired look.

“Of course I do,” she replies. “And I’m fine. You don’t need to go fussing over me or anything.”

She rubs at the back of her nape. It’s more than clear the real reason he’s here is the tentacles. He keeps shooting these nervous little glances at her… like he’s afraid she’s going to combust. It’s  _ ridiculous.  _ She already said she’s fine, alright? And it’s not like she needs his  _ virtue signalling. _

She already knows he doesn’t care about her safety. Not really. 

(At least… she’s pretty sure.)

Admittedly everything from the past 24 hours has her wondering what sort of person he really is… but she tries not to dwell on it. She’s got more important things to worry about for now, and besides: whenever her mind drifts back to the claim that he’d been friends with Aguri she feels the tentacles pierce her mind. ‘No.’ They say. ‘No. Of course not.’ They  _ won’t  _ let her fall for that. And so she won’t let it eat at her, alright.

(She’s  **_fine.)_ **

“That’s good,” Korosensei awkwardly replies. “I’ve been worried about you, you know.”

“I know,” Akari replies dryly.

The two of them fall quiet. Korosensei shoots a glance towards her wall clock, then back towards the ground.

“It’s quiet here,” he says. “Do you live alone? I didn’t notice a car in the driveway.”

“Mmm,” Akari says, answering him but not eager to dump too many details. “Dad dipped after ‘sis died.”

“Aaaaahhhh…” Korosensei says. “That checks out, I suppose.” He pauses. “What about Mom?”

Akari’s lip twitches… and again she doubts that this man really knew Aguri. She shakes her head and gives a defeated shrug. “I live alone and I didn’t mention her.  _ What do you think?” _

Korosensei’s face pales as he knits at his hands awkwardly.

“I see,” he says. “I’m sorry.”

It’s one of those empty, for-the-sake-of-it condolences.

Whatever.  _ That’s  _ not what Korosensei should be apologizing for, anyways. Akari didn’t know her mother. Her  **_sister,_ ** on the other hand…-

She shoots Korosensei a glare.

Korosensei’s quick to change the topic. Shifting from foot to foot he says “In any case… are you prepared to head out? I know this must be overwhelming, but…-”

“I’m ready,” Akari says, deadly serious. “...I’ve been ready to head out since Itona first told me. No ifs or buts. I’m going to make that man pay for what he did to my sister.”

Korosensei’s quiet for a long moment. Tilting his head, he says “That’s not what this is about, you know.”

“I know,” Akari says bluntly… but the anger seeps through into her tone. She knows this is about Aguri-  **_of course she fucking does-_ ** but she wants revenge, too. Korosensei of all people doesn’t get the right to redirect her anger. If anything he’s probably just uncomfortable knowing she’s mad at him, too.

“Well… that’s good,” Korosensei says awkwardly, not sure how to respond to that. “I hope you’re not too scared. Something truly terrible happened to your sister, and while I believe we can face that, no-one could fault you for being afraid.”

“I’m not,” Akari insists. If anything she’s a little irritated at the implication. Sure… her stomach churns when she thinks about her sister going through something like that, but that doesn’t  _ matter  _ right now, alright? “If anything I’m just thankful she’s alive.”

Korosensei’s quiet for a long moment.

“...As am I,” he finally admits, voice strained.

Akari’s lip twitches.

“I’m going to verify what you said, for the record,” she admits. “The minute she’s out of there I’m asking her if she actually knew you. If it turns out that you were lying about being her friend or killing her on ‘accident’ I won’t hesitate. I  **_will_ ** kill you. I hope you understand that, Sensei. Whether you help me rescue her or not, I’ll-”

“No,” Korosensei interjects. “I understand. Please don’t feel the need to justify yourself to me.” He pauses, turning. “All the same… I do believe you’ll hear the same story from her you heard from me. I failed Aguri in many ways but the fact that we cared for each other is no lie. I’m relieved that she’s alive, too.”

“Now,” he says. “Before we head out is there anything else you’d like to grab or talk about?”

“No,” Akari says. “If anything I’m getting impatient.”

Korosensei sighs. “Very well then… we should get going. I’d ask you one last time if you’re truly prepared for this, but I don’t believe I’d ever get any answer besides ‘yes.’ As scared as I am for you to embark on this journey… it’s your right to come along, too.”

“It was never up for question,” Akari replies. “I was always going to come. The only uncertainty was if  **_you’d_ ** be willing to, too.” She frowns. “I’m going to keep an eye on you. Don’t screw this up, Sensei. If you do I’m going to be really,  _ really  _ mad.”

Korosensei opens his mouth to respond… but no words come out. Instead, he simply nods in acknowledgment and steps to the side.

“It’s a half-hour’s walk to the school. Would you like a ride there, or-?”

“No,” Akari says, already reaching out for her jacket. “I can walk.”

“Do you mind if I come with?” Korosensei asks, watching her as she steps out the door.

“Do whatever you’d like,” Akari replies, latching it behind her. “I’m not your fucking mother.”

Korosensei indeed follows after. He doesn’t speak… but she can feel his gaze on the back of her neck. Akari rolls her eyes and picks up the pace. Who does he think he is, acting like she needs to be supervised? If anything she feels more in  _ danger  _ with him around.

Absentmindedly, she pulls up her hoodie. It’s a surprisingly chilly day out for August, although she’s not  _ really  _ sure if she’s trying to shield herself from her Sensei or just from the cold. Maybe both. She just hates being stared at.

She thinks about her classmates as she makes her way down the street. She wonders how things will go... how many of them will have shown up for this ‘important meeting’ and how many of them will be willing to help out when they hear what it’s about. Will they be willing to be brave like she so desperately hopes they will, or will they back out? She’d like to think better of them… earlier their plan had seemed so foolproof, but the closer they get to the hour of reckoning the more she feels her faith start to waver.

They aren’t going to be prepared for any of this. Is two hours really enough to ready them? And what if they just don’t care? She lets herself fall prey to the illusion sometimes, but she needs to remind herself that these aren't her real friends. These are people she’s lying to. They aren’t under any obligation to help her out… and the minute it comes out that she’s been deceiving them they may very well just scorn her. They may never want to see her again.

_...Whatever.  _ See if she cares. It doesn’t matter what they think of her. As long as she gets her sister out of there and gets her revenge then she’ll be satisfied. They can scram after that for all she wants. This is the  **_one_ ** thing she’s asking of them. She hopes they’ll at least give her that… but if they won’t…-

She can handle this on her own.

Little beads of sweat are dripping down her forehead. It’s funny after she just commented on how it’s cold, but it makes sense. The tentacles get her heated both literally _ and  _ metaphorically. No  **_wonder_ ** she’s sweating.

She still doesn’t take the hood down. Not with the other sham trailing feet behind her.

He’s still sending her these nervous little glances… pausing to speak, then deciding against it. It’s maybe five minutes before he finally gets some actual words out. And when he does, there’s a melancholy to his tone.

“She’ll likely be different, you know,” he says, trying his best to keep straight-faced. “Five months is a very long time. Please don’t be surprised if your sister isn’t how you remember her. She’s gone through a very traumatizing thing.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Akari asks, kicking a rock to the side. “I’m prepared for things to be bad. It’s not like I haven’t already seen her change before.”

...Sure, nothing like  _ this  _ has ever happened to her sister… but she’s watched her wither away her whole life. Aguri’d gone from a genuinely happy person to someone who just pretended to be one. Watching that inevitable sadness is nothing new. And even if things are bound to have ramped up this time, Akari’s resolved to love her regardless of what she finds. She’s her only goddamn sister. She could be a  **_shell_ ** of herself and Akari would still trade the world for her.

(Not that she’ll… be a shell. Not a chance. Aguri’s suffered, but she’s strong. It won’t be that bad. It  **_won’t._ ** Akari tries not to let Korosensei’s words unsettle her. He’s trying to get into her head… that’s all. The minute Aguri’s out of there, well-

Things won’t be perfect, but at least she’ll have a place to  _ heal.) _

“Whatever we find… it’ll be okay with me,” she says. “She’s still my sister, and that’s all that matters. I’ll be there for her. And I hope you will too, at least if you’re a shred of the person you’re saying you are."

“Of course I will-”

“Great. Then stop trying to worry me already, alright? I don’t care how she’s doing. I’ll love her no matter what.”

“I know that,” Korosensei says. “And I’m not trying to worry you. I suppose I just want you to be prepared for…-” He pauses. “I know what it is she went through… and I know how it feels. It can change a person, and, well…-” He sighs. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around that.”

He stares at the ground.

“I can’t believe she’s been alone all this time. I wish I could have done something.”

For a second there Akari feels a pang of sympathy… she thinks they  _ all  _ wish they could have done something. But just as soon she banishes the thought. She reminds herself that Korosensei is  _ not  _ feeling the same thing she’s feeling right now.

“We both do,” she replies. “You’re not special. And I’m not your therapist, either… so stop trying to ‘wrap your head around things’ to me, alright?”

Korosensei stares.

“I just thought maybe you’d also be struggling with…- worried about…- _ ”  _ He drifts off. “No. You’re right. It’s not your job to shoulder my fears. I apologize.”

With that he shuts up. Akari gives him a satisfied nod. Quite frankly she’s not interested in listening to him blabber right now. She still doesn’t know who she can trust, and his words aren’t helping her any.

She can’t wait to hear Aguri’s side of the story. That will be able to ease a lot of her fears. Then she’ll know whether she’s obligated to deal with this guy or not. Once it comes out for sure that he laid a finger on her she can stop putting up with this bullshit. She can turn on him- punish him for his crimes. But up until then…-

Well, she just has to remain strong.

Unless it comes out that Korosensei hadn’t hurt Aguri at all. She knows it’s not likely, but some part of her keeps wandering back to that. She resents that part of herself. She should know better than to be optimistic by now. The minute she hears what Aguri has to say she hopes she’ll be able to put that side of her down.

She wonders how Korosensei met Aguri at all.

It had to be at the lab… right? That’s the only way he’d be able to know about any of this. But what does that imply about him? Was he a person, too? The way he’s talking about this certainly  _ implies  _ it... but Akari hadn't really thought about that up until now. With his unwavering smile and deformed body he’d always struck her as anything  _ but _ human. And it’s not like he’d  _ acted  _ like one, either. He’s zany. W _ eird.  _ **_Irrational._ ** People in their right mind… they don’t act like that.

(The tentacles suppress Akari’s thoughts, and Korosensei murmurs ‘She might be different.’ Akari wonders how Aguri will act now, too.)

Maybe saying Korosensei ‘was’ human isn’t right. He  **_is._ ** He just…

(She dwells on what she’s so certain he’s done.)

...He doesn’t  _ deserve  _ to be one, that’s all.

_ (That doesn’t make her sister any less-) _

“We’re here.”

And with that Akari’s thoughts grind to a halt. She jerks her head upwards to stare at the mountain, and realizes unceremoniously that they’ve arrived. She turns to Korosensei and frowns.

“Great,” she says. “In that case let’s start the trek up. The others should already be waiting for us. If we hurry we can be there by nine-forty-five.”

She doesn’t wait for a response. Clearing her head and reminding herself to focus on the introspective stuff later, she makes her way into the forest. She doesn’t get particularly far, however, before she hears Korosensei speak.

“Wait,” he says. “Before we go.”

Akari stops.

“What is it?”

“Are you sure I can’t…-” He pauses. “Listen- this is the last time I’ll pester you about this… but are you  _ sure  _ you don’t want me to remove your tentacles? This is your last chance to do so before your classmates find out. And if you’re afraid then it’s not too late to back down.”

For a second Akari considers it. But blood boiling, she shakes her head.

‘Back down...?’ what a joke. She’s not planning to  _ back down.  _ She’ll do whatever this takes.

“I’m not afraid,” she says simply. “Now stop trying to change my mind. I told you I’m not considering anything until my sister’s safe, remember?”

“I do,” Korosensei says. “I just thought I’d ask. That said, however...” he begins to follow. “I will drop it for now. Just promise me you’ll stay safe, Kayano. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you."

“I’ll be fine,” she replies, only half listening to him. And as they come across the crest of the mountain she sees her classmates gathered. It’s now or never, she supposes.

...It’s time to tell them what’s going on.

* * *

“And that’s the long and short of it.”

Ultimately, the two of them tell the class only what they need to. They let them know first and foremost that they’ve been gathered because Korosensei and Kayano discovered that Shiro has been keeping a human hostage. They let them know  _ second  _ that this person was their teacher,  _ third  _ that Korosensei and Kayano knew her, and  **_fourth_ ** that Kayano’s not Kayano’s real name.

“I am… not aware of all of the details, nor is it my place to disclose them, but I am under the impression that she… knew this person, knew I failed to protect her, and wanted revenge on me due to that. However neither of us knew that she was still alive, and now that that’s come out the plan has changed.”

They let them know fifth that they plan to rescue this person.

“None of you are obligated to come along… but now that the information’s come out we at least wanted to offer.”

That’s about when chaos breaks out. Korosensei and Akari manage to keep the class quiet as they explain what happened… but as soon as there's a free moment they  _ scramble  _ for clarification. 

“Wait…  **_what!?”_ **

“Kayano came here to kill you?”

“We  _ all  _ came here to kill you!”

“And what do you mean Shiro’s got a lady locked in his basement!?”

“Yukimura-sensei!?”

“You thought she was dead?”

“We were told she quit!”

“Why didn’t Kayano tell us about-? I thought she was-  _ has she been lying to us all this time!?” _

“A… a human experiment? That’s terrible!”

“Does that mean Korosensei was also a…-”

**_“I think I feel sick.”_ **

It’s only through Korosensei and Itona’s combined efforts that they manage to calm the class down. Itona, holding his hands up, confirms everything the two of them said.

“I did indeed see that person in the lab. I was actually the first person to bring it up.”

“As for your confusion,” Korosensei adds on. “I’ll explain the full story the minute she’s out of there. Quite frankly it’s something I never wanted to share… but seeing as how I’m in a position where I can no longer avoid it I’ll do what I have to. However... it’s a story with a lot of pain attached for me, and I’d prefer to tell it in front of everyone, Karasuma and Irina-sensei included. It’s not the sort of thing I believe I can repeat twice.”

He pauses. “Then as for Kayano… hopefully she will be willing to share as well. But all of that can wait. We have much more important things to be focusing on right now… namely securing Yukimura-san’s safety. Again:  _ none of you are under the obligation to come,  _ and I’m aware I’m asking a lot of you… but if Kayano and I were to stage a rescue operation tonight would any of you be willing to assist? It would mean the world to me.”

“Itona-kun and I have already decided we’re coming along,” Ritsu pipes up from his phone. “I’m going to help out with hacking, and Itona knows all of the lab’s layout.”

“That, and I’d just feel bad if I didn’t,” Itona admits. “I don’t know if I’ll be particularly helpful… but she seemed really desperate the last time I saw her. I have to do  _ something.”  _ He turns towards the rest of class. “Do you guys intend to, too?”

Akari thinks she hears Korosensei saying something about how, ‘again… he won’t be mad if they aren’t able to help,’ but she can barely make it out. Looking at her stunned, frightened classmates, she feels her lip twitch… and she  _ genuinely  _ considers hurting them if they refuse. She knows it’s ridiculous… they’re just kids, and it’s not like she’ll need their help anyways. But the thought of them leaving such an innocent person alone to suffer makes her mad. They’d have to be  **_out of their minds to refuse…-_ ** _ cowards…  _ the opposite of the sort of people she thought they were: plain and simple.

Of course, she doesn’t voice any of that. Instead, hands shaking, she parrots Korosensei and says that she’d 'really appreciate it if they helped her out.'

“This is… important to me,” she murmurs. “Aguri was a person I loved a lot.”

(Is. Aguri  **_is_ ** a person she loves a lot.)

And yet… they hesitate. This is the sort of thing that’s very real compared to anything they’ve ever faced before. This isn’t duking it out with a larger-than-life educator octopus. This is a person they knew being kept hostage and  _ tortured!  _ It’s  **_scary!_ ** And as they all stare at her with uncertain eyes, Akari shifts in her oversized hoodie.

...Karma is the first person to step forward.

At first, it gives him pause, too. He’d probably never want to admit it, but Akari catches the flash of fear in his eyes. However, soon shaking it off... he stretches, raises a hand and says “Alright then. I’m in.”

“Wait…  **_seriously?”_ ** Terasaka asks. “You’ve never gone out of your way for anyone in your  _ life.” _

“And it’s not like this is really going out of my way,” Karma retorts. “We’ve beaten Shiro a hundred times before… how much harder could it possibly be now?  _ You  _ should understand that better than anyone. And besides...” He pouts. “I just can’t leave Kayano making that face. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pissed off at her for lying to us, too, and I  _ expect to hear the whole story,  _ but…” He wrinkles his nose. “She just looks so pathetic and desperate. I’m not leaving someone floundering like that… her  _ or  _ this Yukimura person.”

“Karma…” Korosensei murmurs, voice brimming with pride. “That's wonderful! You’re one of the best allies we could possibly have by our side. There’s no way I could thank you enough.”

“Good Lord… don’t go  _ thanking  _ me,” Karma replies. “I’m just doing what’s right. That’s all. Believe it or not, I’m not some  _ demon.”  _ He shoots Terasaka a snide look.

Akari opens her mouth to thank him, but doesn’t get the chance. Someone else speaks up before she can possibly find the words.

“I… I’ll come too!”

It’s a meek voice-- one from the back of the crowd. But as Okuda pushes through to make herself seen, she has a surprisingly brave face on.

“It’s… horrible that science could be used to torture someone like that. But if Karma’s coming along then I think I want to, too. I want to be able to help. Kayano is my friend… and even if I don’t really understand everything that’s going on, I don’t want to wimp out either. I want to be able to help. I’m not sure how useful I’ll really be, but if you’d have me, then…” She drifts off. “Well… I’ll do my very best!”

Karma gives her a nod of approval. Korosensei smiles brightly and pats her shoulder.

“You’re a valuable asset, Okuda… and I’m sure you’ll be able to do much to help. We’d be more than happy to have you.”

Akari stares as Okuda walks over to join the group. She’s trying her best to suppress it… but her whole body’s shaking. It’s more than evident she’s scared out of her mind. And so why…?  **_Why-?_ **

“...You didn’t have to do this, you know,” She whispers.

“I know,” Okuda whispers back. “But I still wasn’t going to leave you to face this alone. I don’t think any of us would.”

And then… most surprising of all, she gives Akari a comforting look. It’s this pathetic little thing-- barely straight-faced… but the courage shines through. Gaze gentle, Okuda tries her best to say _ ‘things will be alright...’  _ and somehow, for the first time all day, Akari actually believes it. Because even if her sister’s in grave danger, the most cowardly person here is trying to tell  _ her  _ not to be afraid. And that…-

That means a lot. 

From there on the rest of the class steps up. First, it’s Nagisa… brave as ever... and then Kanzaki, saying she also couldn’t leave her friend to fight this fight alone. Terasaka… saying that Karma’s ‘right for once in his life,’ and Maehara… so convinced that they’ll be able to ‘take this guy down without a problem.'

No-one stays silent.  **_Each and every one_ ** of her classmates speaks up --then meets her with those frightened, comforting eyes.

It takes all of Akari's willpower not to choke up.

She didn’t expect this level of support. She’d assumed the worst of her classmates… thought they’d reject her, and even considered hurting them for it. But they  _ didn’t.  _ They _ all  _ want to help her sister out, just like she does… and some of them even want to do it just because they care about her. After almost half a year of treating them like disposable pawns that hits  _ hard. _

Takebayashi is the last to step forward. Nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he declares “Well… I’m not going to be the odd one out.” He pauses. “Don’t get me wrong: I think this will be  _ very  _ dangerous… and I’m still a bit skeptical about ‘Kayano’s’ intent, but… with all 29 of us I just can’t see this going too wrong. I’ll come along. We’ve tackled far worse.”

“Exactly!” Fuwa proclaims. “This is gonna be  _ nothing.” _

“We’ve already broken into Shiro’s property,” Yoshida points out. “Rescued Itona and everything. So it’s not like we’re not experienced.”

“Yeah! We just gotta beat up the scientists… same as before,” Nakamura says, maybe a little  _ too  _ excited.

“And then rehabilitate Yukimura-sensei,” Muramatsu finishes, his hands on his hips. “We were able to cheer Itona up and rid him of his tentacles, yeah? Who’s to say we can’t do it again?”

“Yeah!”

**_“Yeah!”_ **

Admittedly Akari’s skeptical. She’s sure it won’t be that easy. But all the same, she just can’t help but get caught up in the cheerful atmosphere. With so many powerful people coming along she feels less and less helpless.  _ ‘We’re coming, Aguri,’  _ she thinks, deadset. _ ‘You don’t have to wait much longer.’ _

“Now, let’s not get cocky,” Korosensei reminds them. “This is bound to be a very dangerous excursion... and that’s why I expect you to be at your most humble. I don’t know what I’d do with myself if one of you got careless and subsequently got hurt.”

“Korosensei’s got a point,” Nagisa replies. “We’ve got to be smart about this.”

“And so we’re not just breaking in then, right?” Isogai asks. “We have a plan?”

“Are Bitch-sensei and Karasuma coming along? Or is this going to be just us?” Yada pipes up. 

Now  _ that  _ makes everyone pause. Whispering amongst themselves, the class comes to the sudden realization that Kayano and Korosensei haven’t brought up Irina and Karasuma at all.

“Where are they?”

“They  _ are  _ coming, right? They’re super strong.”

“This sort of seems like something the government should be handling, anyways.”

“I’m afraid in this case it’s not,” Korosensei replies. “Kayano and I talked it over and we… ultimately came to the conclusion that it was best to exclude Irina and Karasuma-sensei from this excursion. Not only are they bound to get caught up in a lot more red tape than us, but I have reason to believe that the government is working with Shiro. I couldn’t risk this information getting out to him.”

“And so you mean that…” Kurahashi pauses. “...Karasuma-sensei would be okay with someone getting hurt like that?”

“Of course not!” Korosensei replies. “I  _ sincerely _ doubt that. But all the same, that’s not a risk I’m willing to take. We can communicate fully with Karasuma when this is all done. I’m sure things will be much more apparent after that.”

“Damn…” Chiba murmurs, scratching his head. “And so we really are going into this alone.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve been woefully unprepared,” Nakamura says, cracking a grin. 

_ “Unprepared, _ however, we are not,” Korosensei interjects. “Itona, Ritsu, Kayano and I have spent the afternoon poring over maps of Shiro’s facility… and we have- at least I believe - devised the best possible way of getting in and out without causing any problems.”

He flings a small stack of papers into each student’s hands at supersonic speed… before subsequently rushing into the classroom and pulling a whiteboard out to place it down in front of them. In the blink of an eye he’s got a map mapped out on it. The same map that they’ll see if they glance down to the papers now in their grip.

_ “This  _ is the layout of Shiro’s laboratory,” he explains. “We were able to deduce the exact location through information divulged by Itona and some personal experience of mine. Ritsu found floorplans buried in their database… and so I’m  _ certain  _ this is how things will be set up… which just leaves one question.”

“Where Aguri is in this building. No one place is specifically labeled as a testing room, but I believe  _ this  _ and  **_this_ ** to be the most likely locations,” he continues, circling two rooms in bright red sharpie. “One is where Itona approximates he met her at, and the other is where I believe Shiro has done tests in before.”

The class exchanges a curious glance, but they don't dwell on Korosensei’s words for long. They’ve got more important things to focus on. A few of them scramble to take notes… Sugino gnawing on his pen as he glances up towards Korosensei then back down towards his papers.

“If we are able to make it to that room… we should be able to make it to Aguri and get her out.” Korosensei explains. “There will no doubt be numerous guards positioned around the building, of course… but we will be prepared for those as well.”

He shoves something else into the students hands’. Some of them let out a small gasp as they realize what they’ve been equipped with… at least until he clarifies.

“Chiba. Hayami. Kanzaki. Hazama. Isogai. I’m trusting you with sniper duty. These are top of the line tranquilizers. They will not put anyone in genuine danger, but they’re enough to knock a person out in seconds. I’ll be relying on you to take care of any guards outside as well as anyone we can strike from a distance. Do you think you can handle this?”

Chiba and Hayami exchange a surprised glance… looking towards the other three, but they soon nod. 

“Of course,” they say. 

“Good,” Korosensei replies. “I chose the five of you because I didn’t want to put this particular pressure on any one group’s shoulders. As for the rest of you…” He turns towards the rest of class. “I’ve equipped you with tasers. They won’t be as effective at knocking people out as tranquilizers, but they  _ should  _ be able to immobilize our opponents without seriously wounding them.”

The students whisper amongst themselves. Fiddling with their newfound weapons, they seem to be in awe.

“That  _ is  _ our goal, after all,” Korosensei clarifies. “...To get in and get out without seriously harming anyone. That said, if it does come to it, your safety comes first. Feel free to punch, kick, taze and choke in any manner necessary to defend yourself. I’d never ask something so dangerous of you as to disregard your own wellbeing.”

Akari fiddles with the taser in hand. Quite frankly she doesn’t get why Korosensei wants to go about this pacifistically at all.  _ Everyone  _ in that lab had a part in hiding what happened to her sister… and if a few of them died on their little excursion then it wouldn’t be any skin off her back. She supposes part of it might just be Korosensei wanting to shelter the class... protect them ‘evils of the world’ or whatever, but that contradicts itself. He barged into their classroom with the sole purpose of introducing them to murder. He wouldn’t try to hide that from them now.

She doesn’t get a chance to voice her concerns. Takebayashi speaks up before she could possibly get the chance.

“Okay,” he says. “And so you’ve weaponized us… that’s great. But a facility like this is bound to be monitored. What are you going to do about the cams? They see one guy get knocked out and they’re already going to go into lockdown.”

“And that’s where you’re forgetting our two-dimensional companion, my compatriot!” Korosensei replies.  _ “Ritsu _ will take care of that.”

“Mmhmm!” Ritsu says, voice a hum. “I’ve already worked my way into their system. I’m going to hack the security monitors to replay a feedback loop from yesterday. They won’t suspect a thing.”

Takebayashi strokes his chin. 

“Fascinating,” he says.  _ “I love it.” _

“Of course, there’s no way we can account for  _ everything,”  _ Korosensei admits. “I still don’t know the exact defenses set up inside of the building... and so we’ll have to be crafty. After all, guards won’t be our only worry. Shiro’s bound to have Anti-sensei traps. And while I’d be able to disarm most other dangers, those are my one weakness. I’ll be relying on  _ you guys  _ to get past those.”

He steps forward. “It will be spontaneous. It will be on the fly.  _ Much  _ of this plan will be made up as we go... but I  **_truly_ ** believe we can handle it. This is a very dangerous,  _ real  _ situation: the sort I wouldn’t trust you with if I weren’t completely confident you could keep yourselves safe. But I promise you, students, we will go into this, and we  _ will  _ win.” 

“That said,” he continues. “I don’t want you to be surprised about anything, and so there’s one more detail we should account for before we head out. Kayano… would you be willing to share?”

Akari blinks. At first she doesn’t process what he’s talking about. But as she catches Itona and Ritsu staring it dawns on her. 

‘Ah… that’s right,’ she thinks. ‘The tentacles.’

Some part of her still doesn’t want to tell them. But reminding herself that the element of surprise is gone either way, she steels herself. It may be very well necessary to use these later. She doesn’t want that to end up screwing up the plan just because it frightens one or two of her classmates. Korosensei’s right. It’s _ fundamental  _ that they know. If she’s going to lean on them… then she’s got to reveal the ace up her sleeve as well.

Slowly… she unfurls her tentacles.

At first the class doesn’t seem to fully process it. But as it dawns on them they let out a collective gasp. Mouths agape- eyes wide like saucers- they ask ‘what!?’

_ “W…  _ **_woah!_ ** _ Those are--” _

_ “Isn’t that dangerous?” _

**_“Where did you get those?”_ **

Akari shuts her eyes. Breathing in deep through her nose she composes a response. When she speaks up it’s so cold it’s almost robotic.

“Yes,” she says. “These are tentacles. But I have them under control… and I’m under no obligation to explain to any of you. I already said earlier that I’m not telling my side of the story until Aguri’s out of there… and she’s not yet, is she? Clarification can wait. There are more important things to focus on.” She pauses. “If you want to reject me that’s fine. If you want to call me a liar then so be it. But just do this one thing for me first. After that you can lash out at me as much as you want. We’ve got a person to rescue, and I’m going to utilize every tool I can. If that scares you then you can just stay at home.”

It’s surprisingly more harsh than she intended… but all the same, she doesn’t regret her words. Staring daggers at her classmates, she lets the tentacles writhe.

Korosensei steps in to do damage control. Voice strained, he says, “...Yes. Kayano has tentacles, it’s true. I wasn’t aware of it until this afternoon, but I swear something will be done about it once this is all through. My goal in informing you is not to frighten you, but rather to let you know that our collective goal is to prevent her from needing to use those at all. They are putting a massive strain on her body… and I would  _ strongly  _ prefer she doesn’t utilize them. Please, keep an eye on her and make sure it doesn’t come to that.”

The class murmurs amongst themselves. As they whisper, however… the primary emotion seems to be  _ confusion _ more than anything.

“Kayano…” Kanzaki says. “We wouldn’t reject you for that.”

“If anything we’re just  _ worried!”  _ Sugino tacks on.

“We’re not going to force you to explain,” Megu replies. “...You’re right that there are other things to focus on, but you’ve got to admit this is pretty unprecedented.”

Okuda blinks. “Did Shiro experiment on you too?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Karma says. “You gotta listen to the girl, alright? She just said the Yukimura-sensei issue comes first. That said… however,” he turns to Akari. “The feelings aren’t all warm and lovey-dovey, okay? If you still refuse to explain after all of this is through then there  _ will  _ be an issue. Capeesh?”

Akari bites her lip. She hates being talked down to like that… but there’s no use in arguing.

“Yeah,” she says. “Kapeesh.”

“Good. Then let’s focus.” Karma whirls around. “Yukimura-sensei. There’s no more use in wasting time. Let’s get going. Unless there’s anything else you’ve got to share, teach?”

“...No,” Korosensei says. “You’re right. We should get going. I won’t be utilizing my superspeed just in case they have sensors. It’s a half-hour walk.”

“Plenty of time to scheme,” Nakamura says. “C’mon.”

And with that… they’re off! Akari’s classmates are surprisingly nonchalant about her newly revealed bioweapons. She has a feeling they’ll be more troubled when they learn the full story… but that doesn’t particularly bother her. All that matters is that she gets Aguri out of there. And  _ do that she will. _

Because even as she retracts her tentacles back into her skin she feels the fire flow through her veins. And she knows for certain that she  _ will  _ set things right.

After all… pacifistic and stealthy, her classmates will rescue her sister. And with the hurt only she could harness, she’ll kill her tormentor.

**_Tonight, Shiro dies._ **

* * *

Korosensei hears the class chatting as they make their way towards the laboratory. Most of it is hushed… and he’s not particularly inclined to listen in, but he does make sure to thank them again for coming along.

“This doesn’t just mean a lot to Kayano,” he says, glancing over his shoulder and then back at them. “This is… important to me as well. I’m thankful for the help. I’ll make sure to repay you all when this is done.”

“Ehhhh,” Nakamura says. “No need. As tempting as the idea of blackmailing you is, we’re not just doing this for you. We’re not even just doing this for Kayano, either. We’re more or less obligated to help Yukimura-sensei out.”

“Yeah,” Megu says. “She  _ was  _ our teacher, after all.”

“And we weren’t exactly very nice to her,” Okano tacks on. “I figure it’s sort of the least we can do.”

“Not very nice?” Korosensei asks, curious.

“Not in like. An intense way,” Mimura’s quick to clarify. “We didn’t yell at her or anything, but…-” He drifts off.

“We were  _ total  _ shitheads,” Maehara says with a laugh.  _ “You  _ could barely get us to focus at the start of the year there and you had  _ superpowers.  _ What was  _ she  _ supposed to do? We spent half our class time throwing crumpled paper balls at the back of her head.”

“I hope that doesn’t make us sound like bullies,” Yoshida clarifies. “It wasn’t, like, unprompt-” he pauses. “...We weren’t just doing it for fun.”

“Yeah. She had this weird attitude,” Takebayashi explains. “Condescending, almost.”

“...Made me feel bad about myself,” Terasaka grumbles.

“But of course that doesn’t mean that-” Takebayashi sputters. “I’m not saying she deserved any of what she’s going through right now… or even how we treated her, but… yeah: that’s the story.”

“I hope she’s not mad at us when she sees us again,” Yada murmurs.

“No, no,” Korosensei reassures. “I’m sure that won’t matter.”

Quite frankly he’s sure her students being a little rowdy will be the last thing on her mind after what she’s been through... but not wanting to dwell on that, he instead says “She told me a little bit about you all. She didn’t seem resentful at all. In fact… it was more than clear she loved you a lot. There won’t be any hard feelings.”

“That’s good,” Yada replies. “I almost got scared for a second there.”

She lets out a nervous laugh.

“Curious to hear how you met her,” Hazama admits. “It’s most peculiar… our past teacher knowing our current one.”

“Yeah,” Kimura says. “I’ve gotta admit I never would’ve guessed. You two just had really different vibes.”

“That can be how you repay us, alright?” Nakamura says. “Not in cash or favors unless you’re  _ really  _ desperate, but in the full story. We’ve been looking for ways to gossip about you for  _ months  _ now, you know.”

In any other situation Korosensei would cover his face with his hands and murmur something about this being humiliating. But now’s not the time… and so instead, shaking his head, he simply says “Very well then. I already said I’d tell you the truth.”

A few of his students let out an awkward laugh… whispering amongst themselves about how they’ll embarrass their teacher, but their hearts are hardly in it. Even if they’re trying their best to behave as if things are normal, there’s clearly a strange atmosphere to the air.

Some of the kids aren’t even talking at all. They’re far too concerned for Kayano, Aguri, or both. Okuda’s hanging around the back of the group… a weirdness to her gait. Hayami and Chiba are silent-- focused. And during a moment of quiet Nagisa pulls Korosensei aside, whispering in his ear as they cross the street.

“Does it hurt?” He asks, tone uneasy.

At first. Korosensei’s not even sure who he’s asking about… but as he follows Nagisa’s gaze to meet Kayano at the front of the group, he sighs and gives a shrug.

“...I’m sure it does,” he admits. “But please try not to worry. I’ll take care of things. I swear.”

Nagisa gives a nod, putting on his best brave face. But it’s still more than clear the worry remains… and as he steps back to rejoin the rest of group four, all of them seem weary. 

Korosensei notes that he’s going to have a lot of work to do when all of this is through. This is no doubt scary for them. He has to make sure it doesn’t leave any scars. They’re brave and they’re strong, but they’re just kids, after all. This shouldn’t have to be something for them to deal with.

(Maybe  _ that’s  _ the real reason he feels the need to repay them.)

He’s not given much time to dwell on it. Before they know it… they arrive. And as they look out over the pristine white building, Korosensei speaks up... his voice a whisper.

“Remember,” he says. “Like I instructed.”

They scramble to hide in nearby foliage. Watch, carefully, to observe any guards on patrol. Noting two, they tell Ritsu to hack the cams. Nodding, she gets right to work... before giving them a signal: security lights flashing purple as the snipers step forward.

Chiba and Hayami take the lead. Striking one in the throat he collapses in on his own weight. His companion attempts to alert someone, reaching out for a button on his lanyard, but he doesn’t get the chance. Kanzaki and Isogai hit him right between the eyes… and dazed, he falls to the ground.

They waste no time. Scrambling over to the doorway Korosensei whispers “In! In!” 

Itona crouches to swipe the lanyard from the guard’s neck, and running it by the sensor he unlocks the door. He steps inside, where he’s confronted by more people.

They, too, seem panicked and ready to strike… but Terasaka beats them to the punch. Tasing them with all the might he’s got, he sends them toppling over.

“Thanks,” Itona whispers, startled.

“‘Course,” Terasaka replies with a grin. “The tasers were my idea originally. I know what I’m doing.”

Korosensei and the others hurry inside. As they do Korosensei reminds them to stick close and be careful. More guards or scientists could be anywhere… and the minute they’re caught is the minute this mission goes wrong. They can’t afford to mess this up.

Unceremoniously, Chiba and Hayami tranquilize the people that Terasaka tased, just in case. And then, wasting no time, they make their way down the hallway, the rest of the class in tow. 

They walk fast… peeking ‘round corners and firing off shots as they unlock doors. Things are going well. Ritsu lets them know that they’re headed in the correct direction… and as they make their way past observation chambers and DNA analysis labs the class is feeling confident. They take care of any guards they spot from a distance, and even manage to tase a group of scientists from behind.

Kayano in particular is on her A-Game. It’s not a surprise, seeing what’s at stake… but it still leaves Korosensei impressed. She directs her classmates with a trained precision, and when they come across a particularly clustered group of scientists a little bit past the security room she downs four of them single-handedly. Korosensei watches, stunned, and perhaps a little too aware of just how much force there is behind her blow. She’s utterly on edge, and her hands tremble with anger as she walks. He reminds himself to talk to her later... to make sure she’s alright. Or at least, as close as she can be during a time like this.

Otherwise, however, their plan starts without a hitch. They’re in good spirits… and still quiet, focused, and on-task when things start to go wrong. They’ve just passed a lab labeled Lab G, and after receiving the cue from Itona that they’re on the right track, they’re been hard at work unlocking the door. At least until they hear a ‘shit,’ from behind them… and turn to see a scientist staring at them with wide eyes.

They hurry to stop him in his tracks… fire off tranquilizers and rush in to strike him. But the first two tranquilizers just barely brush past his head, and the third ricochets off of his glasses. By the time the melee students are on him, he’s already managed to grab at his lanyard. They send him tumbling to the ground, but not before he can slap the emergency button on his ID. And all at once, alarms begin to blare.

The students freeze. It’s a deafening sound… high-pitched, and the sort that seems to make the whole lab shake. They stare, wide-eyed and terrified... but swiftly, Korosensei reaches out to grab them.

“Change of plans,” he says, voice strained. “We’ve got to hurry. Stealth is out the window. Come on.”

And before they can even get in a response he’s off. Students clutched carefully in his tentacles he rockets down the halls. He can hear footsteps storming throughout the building… a shouting that’s getting closer, but he tries his best to purge the panic from his mind. They’re getting close. There’s no giving up now.  **_Aguri is depending on him, after all._ **

He skids to a stop just in front of their destination. And with that, only a single doorway stands between the students and their long lost teacher. They wait, anxiously, in front of it, as Korosensei instructs Ritsu to unlock the doors.

“We don’t have much time,” he says. “Hurry, please.”

“I’m going as fast as I can!” She squeaks. “They’re in lockdown mode! Just give me a minute, alright?”

Korosensei nods… trying his best not to seem frightened as he pulls the students in close. He does a headcount of them, just in case, repeating ‘27… 28…’ over and over again in his mind. The building continues to quake… and right then and there he vows that he’ll keep them safe no matter what. If he has to fight right now then so be it.

Any minute the guards are gonna storm… and they will  _ not  _ hesitate to harm his children. He never wanted to show a violent side to them… but if it comes down to it then he  _ will  _ do whatever it takes to make sure they remain unharmed. He can’t believe he even decided to take them here in the first place. He thought it’d be fine! He thought they’d be safe! But remembering the atrocities that took place here… his whole body shakes.

‘I will  _ not  _ lose you too,’ he thinks, giving each of them a reassuring squeeze. ‘Your teacher will protect you. I promise.’

Kayano looks equally on edge. But reaching out a tentacle to block her path Korosensei says  _ “I  _ will take care of this. There is no need to push yourself.”

She’s warm to the touch. Her blood _ literally  _ boils. Sputtering for words, she starts to say, “How am I supposed to believe you about that!? We could all  _ die _ h-” But she doesn't get to finish.

The doors behind them pop open with a hiss, and she stumbles in backwards. Korosensei wastes no time. He scoops the students up in his arms and hurries into the room. The door slams behind him with a clunk… and Ritsu shouts “Hurry, alright!? I don’t know if I can hold them off for very long.”

Korosensei nods… letting out a raggedy breath as he sets the students down. Despite himself, a wave of relief washes over his body. He’s thankful he didn’t have to fight in front of them. As far as he’d go to protect them, he  **_never_ ** wants them to see that side of him.

That relief only lasts a mere moment. As they regain their bearings, the students look around the room… and slowly, they start to gasp.

At first… Korosensei tenses, perhaps worried that more guards had been waiting for them inside. But as his gaze drifts up and he beholds a thick glass plane, he feels his heart stop in his chest. There, inside of the observation chambers lies a person. 

(It appears their guess had been correct after all.)

They’re in a miserable state. With sickly grey skin and a deformed, twisted body, they’re strapped to the operating table by their throat and arms. No part of them seems not to move… writhing, twitching and twisting as they lay there petrified. Bright red blood runs up their veins, apparent through their almost translucent skin… and tentacles spill off the operating table, splitting from their head and torso. 

They don’t turn their head their way as the students approach. Restrained far too tightly, or perhaps unable to hear them at all through the thick glass window, they remain staring up at the ceiling… lips drawn back into a frown- expression blank.

Korosensei doesn’t want to believe his eyes. No… he  _ won’t.  _ He **_can’t!_ ** Malformed… terrified and broken, there’s no way that that’s…  _ that’s- _

**_“AGURI!”_ **

Kayano’s voice is a shriek. Slamming herself against the window as she releases her tentacles, she lets out an inhuman, guttural sound. Wailing, shouting… tears streaming down her cheeks as her own veins go red, she hurls herself into the window _ harder  _ \-  **_hard as she can..._ ** and cries out in a voice wracked with grief.

**_“It’s her!”_** She howls, shout desperate and raw. “It’s her. _Oh my god._ ** _It’s her!_** I know it is…-” She throws herself into the glass yet again, literally caterwauling. **_“GET MY SISTER OUT OF THERE!”_**

Korosensei wastes no time. Thrust from his panic, he turns to face the students.

“Ritsu! Open up the doors. Terasaka-! Yoshida…-” he pauses. “Try to restrain Kayano! Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself! The rest of you…- keep guard!”

They nod and get to work. There’s a faint buzzing as Ritsu hacks the system, and Kayano’s screams pierce the air. Korosensei tries to turn to her, tell her that things will be alright- but it’s no use… it may as well go in one ear and out the other. She writhes, tossing Terasaka and Yoshida to the side… and lets out an inhuman shriek as she rakes her nails down the glass.

_ “Aguri!”  _ She shouts.  **_“Aguri! It’s okay! I’m coming! I WON’T LET THEM TAKE ME AWAY FROM YOU!”_ **

The footsteps are getting closer. Korosensei thinks he hears gunshots down the halls. But as the doors shoot open and Terasaka crumples back against the wall, he knows he has to make a split-second decision.

He hurries into the room. 

Aguri’s restraints pop off with a hiss… but she doesn’t motion to stand. With no time to waste, Korosensei scoops her up into his arms... ignoring her shell shocked “Wha-!?” He turns to leave the room, and for a brief moment, they lock eyes.

What he sees makes him freeze. Because undeniably… he recognizes it. Even with now-black sclera, he recognizes that golden gaze. And for a second… his hand goes limp. He chokes.

(It really  _ is  _ her.)

It’s while they’re standing there… still, that a voice speaks up. And as the doors on the other side of the room pop open, and a familiar face makes his entrance, Korosensei feels his vision go white.

_ “Horrific, isn’t it?” _

Korosensei’s out of there in an instant. Aguri still in hand, he  _ darts  _ from the room… and just in time. A split second later it collapses in on itself, an explosion of Anti-sensei material and loose debris.

He hurries to count the students… notes that Kayano’s still in a rage and that Terasaka’s curled up on the floor. Chiba’s aiming a tranquilizer at the new intruder… Karma’s lip is curled back into a snarl. Okuda sputters for breath… Nagisa struggles to compose himself, and Korosensei feels himself let out a sigh of relief.

26… 27… 28.

All of them are accounted for. None of them were in the room-  **_thank god._ **

And as such, with his biggest fear put to rest… he finally lets his gaze rise. There, he locks eyes with someone he knows all too well. Someone he  **_hates,_ ** and someone he should have seen this coming from:

_ Shiro. _

He’s surprisingly composed for a situation like this. Fingers steepled, he stares down at Korosensei with narrowed eyes. He’s in his usual white robes. He stands tall. And when he speaks up it’s cold… calculating.

“Pity,” he says. “And there I was hoping you’d die. I really should know better by now, shouldn’t I?” He sighs, shaking his head. “Nevermind. I suppose it doesn’t matter much, anyways. I’m sure you  _ want  _ to die, regardless, with what you’ve just had to see and all.”

Guards are beginning to gather around him. They’ve got weapons aimed directly at Korosensei. The alarms continue to blare.

Korosensei’s grip tightens on Aguri as he pulls her in closer to his chest. He reaches a tentacle out to put distance between the students and the opposition… his own eyes narrowing as he speaks.

“Yanagisawa,” he says. “...And so it really  _ is  _ you.” 

He’d had a hunch from the way that Shiro spoke… but he’d never been certain up until today. He feels a chill run down his spine.

“Indeed. Did you truly think I’d simply leave you be after what you did to my life?”

He pauses.

“Did you truly think I’d simply leave you be after what you did to my  _ future wife?” _

Kayano steps forward as Korosensei steps back. Fists clenched… voice shaking, she says  **_“You.”_ **

“Me,” Shiro repeats, almost sardonically. “Pleased to see your brother-in-law?”

“You…  **_you…-”_ ** She snarls.  **_“YOU KNEW ALL THIS TIME..._ ** you allowed me to attend her funeral...  **_you allowed me to plot my revenge._ ** And she was... - she was here all along!?”

“Heartless, I know,” Shiro says. “But you simply must try and see things from my perspective. I  **_knew_ ** that the monster had to die… any possible chance of getting the job done could not be passed up. And besides…” He laughs. “I couldn’t force a young girl like you to see your sister in this state.”

**_“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”_ **

Kayano doesn’t hesitate. She rushes at Shiro, tentacles brandished. She lashes at him with full force… a horrible  _ cracking  _ sound ringing out through the air like a whip made of flesh. Her attacks land in vain, however… as the first tentacle explodes the minute it touches his shoulder. The second he reaches out to grab with his fist; it, too, combusting, as he takes it in his hand and  **_slams_ ** Kayano down onto the ground hard.

Korosensei darts between them. Aguri still in arms, he blocks Shiro off from Kayano… letting out a low, enraged growl.

**_“Don’t touch her.”_ **

Shiro pays him no mind, however. Instead, voice a sneer, he says  _ “Do  _ remember that I have Anti-Sensei fabric. Mad as you are, I’m afraid you can’t fight back. Now would you like to try that again? Or would you prefer  **_not_ ** to end up riddled with bullet holes?”

He motions behind him. There the guards and scientists stand with  _ very real  _ weapons.

“The minute any of you move is the minute you die. Understood? And that includes you, Reaper. _ Attempt to escape,  _ and I shoot them all.” 

Previously the kids had started to raise their weapons… but hearing that, they lower them. Standing stiff, they appear frightened in a way they haven’t looked since they faced off against Takaoka.

(And all at once it finally seems to sink in. They’re in real,  _ genuine  _ danger.)

Needless to say… Korosensei stops. He’s pretty sure he could stop the bullets if it came down to it, but he does  **_not_ ** want to take that risk. He needs to... - he needs to think this through before he makes any major decisions. But he’s running out of time! What is he supposed to do?  _ He’d never forgive himself if he were wrong- _

Aguri’s trembling in his grip. Incoherently hyperventilating, she doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on. Glancing up towards him, then back towards Shiro, she whispers “W… what’s-? Akari?” She reaches up to cover her face with her hands. “No.  _ There’s no way--” _

“I know you must have a plethora of questions,” Shiro admits, stepping forward. “But I’m afraid I’ll have to leave them unanswered. It’s time you die, beast. And while I would have preferred to never had my research jeopardized like this… I must admit, it still feels most sweet to see you have fallen into my trap.”

Closer. Ever closer. Slowly… he creeps towards Korosensei. Korosensei glances up, but the guns are still aimed at the kids, and he finds himself at a complete loss. If he wanted to he could get out of here in an instant.  _ This is the exact same situation as his first escape.  _ But if he can’t make sure  _ they  _ get out of here alive then what’s the point?  **_He can’t risk making the same mistakes a second time._ **

(Has he… has he really failed them!?)

“I apologize that you had to see this before you went,” Shiro says insincerely. “I’m sure you’d have died much happier not knowing the state your whore was in. But life isn’t exactly fair, is it? And I never wanted to see  _ my fiance  _ like this, either.”

It takes all of Korosensei’s willpower not to step back. He can see Kayano out of the corner of his eye… trembling with rage. He can hear the students whispering amongst themselves, faces a ghostly white.

“But I did what I _ had _ to. Surely you understand. I did what was _ necessary  _ after you killed her,” Shiro says, retrieving an Anti-sensei gun from his cloak pocket. He aims it straight at Korosensei’s chest. “I did what was necessary because  _ you  _ harmed her. I saved her life! And do you know why, monster?”

“Because I care about her,” he growls. “Unlike you. Unlike the beast who left her here alone… who let her get punished in his place.  **_WHOSE FAULT THIS ALL IS IN THE FIRST PL-”_ **

He doesn’t get to finish. 

Mid-sentence a crack resounds through the air. And as something bright red lunges towards him, the smell of _ sizzling  _ meets Korosensei’s nose.

**_“WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO FIGHT BACK!?”_ **

And as he stumbles back, almost on instinct, Korosensei spots flames out of the corner of his eye; only to then come to the even more horrific realization that they’re coming from Kayano. _ Her tentacles are alight. _

She lets out a guttural scream, whipping them straight at Shiro. Of course… they combust the moment they touch his fabric… but so does _it._ Which is to say it - no… **_he_** \- goes ablaze. The smell of burning flesh wafts throughout the laboratory as he’s thrown back against the wall, and all at once, the gunfire resumes.

**_“KILL THEM!”_ ** He hears Shiro scream, voice wracked with pain.  _ “SHOOT THEM ALREADY! WHAT IS  _ **_WRONG_ ** _ WITH ALL OF YOU!?” _

It’s about then that Korosensei has to make another one of those split-second decisions. He knows Kayano is in grave danger… but listening to the incoherent screams- the hail of bullets clattering against the wall- he knows he has no time to waste. Kayano’s body temperature- the danger she’s putting herself in-  _ all of that can wait.  _ He has  **_got_ ** to protect the rest of the class.

He rushes their way, blocking bullets as he does. Most of them are trying their best to take cover, but it’s far too short of a time to react. He scoops them up one by one, just barely in time to prevent utter tragedy. He tries his best to keep a headcount… counting them out as he lifts them up into his arms.

1\. 2. 3. That’s Nagisa, Hazama, and Yada.

4\. 5. 6. He’s picked Kanzaki up by the scruff of her shirt, and has Maehara nestled under a tentacle. He picks Terasaka up off the ground, and tries not to think about his potentially broken bones.

7\. 8. 9.

Hayami. Chiba. Isogai. Forget shooting tranquilizers. This is way above their pay grade.

And 9 becomes 10. 10 becomes 11. 11 becomes 12. Going maybe the fastest he’s ever gone, Korosensei scoops his kids up into his arms. They’re almost too heavy to carry… his limbs feel weak- but there’s no faltering now.

20\. 21. 2-

That’s when he hears a scream.

At first he thinks it’s simply out of fear. But as he sees blood spray through the air his face goes pale.  _ W- who hasn’t he gotten to, yet?  _

**_No. He knows that voice._ **

He rushes Sugino’s way, snatching up his injured cells with one tentacle, and the boy with the other. From there on he manages to get hands on the others… whispering apologies the whole time.

“It’ll be okay!” He tries to say. “Please don’t panic. I’ll take care of this, I swear.”

...There’s blood dripping down his shoulder.

Okay.  _ Okay.  _ **_Okay._ ** That’s 24… 25… 26. Ritsu doesn’t have a body to worry about. Kayano is the only one left. He just has to get her  _ off  _ of Shiro and then  **_out_ ** of here. That’s  _ all  _ he has to worry about. That’s all. That’s all.  _ That’s all. _

She’s practically a ball of flame by now. It’s hard to see through the smoke, but he thinks she’s choking Shiro. The guards are aiming at her, but as far as he can tell she hasn’t been hit. She deflects the regular bullets with her tentacles, and takes the Anti-Sensei BBs as they come. Her tentacles explode on impact, but regrow in the blink of an eye. She has to be using an ungodly amount of energy to keep things up like that.

If… if she continues she’s going to  **_kill herself._ **

“Kayano!” He screams, just barely darting past a shower of bullets. “Come on! We’ve got to get out of here!”

But if she hears him she certainly doesn’t respond. Instead, fingers still clutched tightly ‘round Shiro’s throat, she throttles him back and forth and lets out a snarl. Strikes him again and again and again, voice a pained shriek.

**_“I’LL KILL YOU,”_ ** she says.  _ “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU. DO YOU HEAR ME!? FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY SISTER I’LL  _ **_KILL YOU!”_ **

_ “Kayano!” _

He can hear her classmates starting to shout as well.

He tries his best to keep them safe… dodges the bullets he can and blocks the others with his body. The gunfire is interlaced with Anti-him BBs, and his skin combusts as he touches them, but he ignores the scorching pain.  _ His safety doesn’t matter right now.  _ That’s just an afterthought. First comes the students and Aguri. First comes the students and-

_ Another scream. _

No. _ No.  _ **_No._ ** He can’t keep this up. Try as he might, he is  _ not  _ equipped for a situation like this. Head pounding, heart aching, he shoots out to grab at another stream of blood. He can preserve their cells for now- stitch them up later, but his students should not be getting  _ shot  _ at. When he speaks up again, he’s also screaming.

_ “KAYANO!”  _ He says. “Your classmates are in danger!  **_Please!”_ **

But she’s not listening. The level of violence only escalates, and Aguri hyperventilates in his arms. Half of the students are starting to panic. Korosensei thinks he hears crying.

**_What is he supposed to do!?_ **

“The mines!” He hears one of the scientists shout as Kayano whips a guard back with a tentacle. “Someone activate the tentacle mines! This might be our only chance!” 

Another scientist nods, and hurries to press a button on his phone. Korosensei tries to stop him, but it’s no damn use. He just barely manages to avoid another hail of bullets. He can’t be doing harm prevention on top of that!

The alarms start to get louder… and he sees a red sensor light up. All at once, something rushes towards Korosensei- bright white. He’s impaled… twice in the shoulder, and once above his heart. However, he doesn’t particularly care. Ignoring the overwhelming pain, he’s just thankful none of them had hit the students.

A similar barrage races at Kayano. She attempts to deflect the first with her tentacle, but it’s no use. It soars straight past her counterattack, lodging itself firmly in her leg. 

She lets out a scream.

Just barely, she manages to dodge the others… using her supersonic speed to duck out of the way. Shiro, however, uses this opportunity against her. He throws a hard punch, striking her straight between the eyes… and as she yelps, he grabs her by the head and pins her to the ground.

Korosensei feels panic rise in his chest. These are  **_not_ ** his tentacles… he’s sure of that much. They’re far too powerful. But what are they, then? Were they harvested from Aguri, or-?

No. He can’t think about it. There are much more important things to focus on. He forces the tentacles out of his body and returns to dodging. He can worry about figuring out their source when he’s out of here. For now he’s just got to  **_focus._ ** He’s got to get Kayano. He’s got to get-

She lets out another yelp as Shiro strikes her across the face. But nowhere close to giving up herself, she lashes at him once more with her blazing tentacles, and lets out a furious roar.

Korosensei’s half-tempted to just grab her… but there’s this  _ fire  _ behind her eyes, and he’s not certain she won’t resist. She’d said she’d wanted to do this on her own terms… and she is  _ not  _ in her right mind. What if she refuses to leave until he’s  _ dead? _

(And what if that ends up killing her? Killing one of her classmates?)

She has to be. That’s why she’s fighting back even now. Even injured, and bleeding, and pinned.

“Kayano!” Korosensei cries once more. But it’s no use. She still doesn’t respond. And he has to get out of here  **_now._ ** If he wastes another second Sugino and the other wounded student could  _ die.  _ What sort of teacher would he be if he allowed that to happen?

(What sort of friend would he be if he allowed Aguri’s sister to die in front of her?)

No. No. No. He doesn’t have any other options. He  **_gets the rest of the kids to safety_ ** and then returns for Kayano. It should only take a split second. He just has to hope…  _ pray  _ that she can take care of herself.

But as he wills himself to turn, he opens his mouth one last time to shout. And before he can even speak, someone else beats him to it.

**_“AKARI!”_ ** Aguri shrieks, voice wracked with fear. “PLEASE!”

And all at once Kayano’s head whips around.

Recognition seems to dawn in her eyes. Trembling madly-- this almost  _ wild _ expression on her face… she slaps Shiro off of her abruptly and rushes back to join the group. 

Her tentacles are still alight, but Korosensei wastes no time. He grabs her by the collar and pulls her in close, then shatters the nearest window and makes a dive. It’s a narrow fit, and his tentacles combust at the touch… but he’s given no time to think about that. Instead, students held tightly to his chest, he  _ runs.  _ He runs as fast as he can… to anywhere he can think of. And mind racing… thoughts labored, he arrives at the E-Class mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHHHH, what a chapter.
> 
> But before we get to Kayano attempting manslaughter and nearly getting all of her classmates killed in the process, why don't we talk about the more casual events first?
> 
> I had tons of fun writing the interactions between her and Korosensei. Some part of her, deep down, really wants to believe his story... but the tentacles make it near-impossible for her, and that leads to this sort of never-ending negative feedback loop. Though, as much as the snark hurt to write, I also enjoyed it. She WILL drag this octopus man through the mud.
> 
> Her relationship with her classmates is looking much brighter in comparison. I really had fun writing them accepting her and telling her that they'd support her. Of course-- it won't necessarily be that easy, and there are still going to be some hard feelings involved, especially after what happened later in the chapter-- but they still love her. That's their friend!
> 
> I've got mixed feelings on the breaking-in scene. I'm honestly not that experienced in writing action segments, but I hope it was fine and felt, like, sufficiently tense. I do feel like things picked up and got a bit better as the events escalated, and I'm proud of that, at least.
> 
> What I'm NOT proud of is the nonsense I had to write Shiro saying. At least not... mostly. Of course evil monologues are fun to write, but HOLY SHIT I WANTED TO BEAT THE DUDE TO DEATH WITH EVERY WORD OUT OF HIS MOUTH. Not that I need to, of course: it seems Kayano's already on that. Our girl going APESHIT.
> 
> Next time we'll get to see the class reconvene, calm down some, and get all healed up. I hope this goes without saying, but none of the kids are going to die. They're just... hurt, even if that's a whole bag of worms all in itself. A few of them are going to be PISSED.
> 
> Which isn't even getting started on what else we have to look forward to: Aguri processing all of this. She's out now, but what does that mean? And how on earth is she supposed to handle that? She's got a whole lot to take in all at once, and it is going to be HEAVY.
> 
> Next chapter will be up next week! I know this one is a bit of a cliffhanger, so I don't wanna leave you on that TOO long.
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter are Sax Rohmer 1 by The Mountain Goats, I Will Make You Proud and Ready As I'll Ever Be from Tangled: The Series, Hero Is My Middle Name from Spongebob: The Musical, Seize The Day from Newsies, Dead Girl Walking Reprise from Heathers, Coma Baby by Nicolle Dollanger, Somebody Will Do Something from Lizzie, and My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark by Fall Out Boy.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon! :D


	8. Beyond Belief Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for unreality/dissociation in this chapter! I wouldn't say it's particularly in depth, but just in case. There's also some mild body horror wrt Kayano's tentacles.

It only takes a few seconds to arrive. From the moment that Kayano acknowledges Aguri to their arrival at the temporary refuge, it's  _ three whole seconds.  _ Three seconds to escape. Three seconds to get to safety. And to think... they spent so much time in that hellish situation.

Korosensei lets out a deep, shaky breath. Wasting no time, he gingerly places the students... and then Aguri, down. He looks over them, sweat dripping down his brow.

“Who is injured?” He says, firmly. “Some of you got shot.  _ Please allow me to look.” _

He tries his best to keep an even tone. He’s scared out of his mind, but the last thing he needs to do is let  _ them  _ know that. He’s a pillar of stability for them... and if he’s frightened then they’ll be, too. He’s got to seem brave right now. Like he always has.

(He hopes that doesn’t make it seem like he doesn’t care.)

It takes a second for the kids to process that. At first, they don’t seem to realize they’ve even made it outside of the lab. But as they look around… catch sight of the canopy overhead, he sees some color return to their face.

Meekly, Sugino raises a hand.

“It’s not bad,” he reassures. “But-”

Korosensei doesn’t wait for him to finish. Instead, spotting a splotch of crimson on his lefthand shoulder, he pulls his sleeve up and gets to work. He uses the clump of cells and blood he grabbed earlier to repair Sugino’s tissue. And by the time he’s done… it actually looks something close to uninjured. He wipes at his brow, relieved. He’s been toying with this safety precaution for a while… but he wasn’t actually sure it would work.

“Woah,” Sugino says. “Wha-?”

“Who’s the other?” Korosensei asks. “Someone else got shot. Who is it?”

“I… um- got nicked,” Yada admits. “But Sugino’s injury seemed more serious.”

“On it,” Korosensei says, hurrying to her side. She got grazed on the hip… but he takes care of it just the same as he took care of Sugino. He asks them if it still hurts when he’s done. Can they move it?

Sugino awkwardly flexes his shoulder. He says he thinks it’s fine.

“It… feels like I wasn’t injured at all. What did you just  _ do?” _

“Simple tissue repair,” Korosensei replies. “It’s something I’ve been working on mastering just in case a scenario like this ever popped up.” He pauses. “Is anyone else harmed? Please don’t hesitate to let me know. Kayano- I thought I saw you get hit. Are you okay?”

But Kayano doesn’t respond. Instead, shoulders heaving, she’s collapsed to the ground beside Aguri. Korosensei takes a step towards her, but she pulls back, insisting she’s fine.

“Don’t touch me,” she says blankly. “Focus on the rest of the class.”

“Like that was her concern just half-a-second ago…” Korosensei hears Yoshida whisper indignantly. He shoots his friends an irritated look.

Usually Korosensei would pester her further... but seeing as how she at least has her tentacles retracted for now, he’ll give her some space.

“I didn’t get shot,” Terasaka pipes up. “But I think I might’ve snapped something. Kayano over there struck me pretty damn hard.” He points to his lower right arm. “Any thoughts?”

Sure enough, it’s looking pretty hurt. He must have hit it hard when she knocked him back against the lab wall. Korosensei’s sure it’s something that will heal relatively easily in time… but all the same, his heart sinks.

There’s a sense of animosity and hate amongst his students. It’s not even something they’re bothering to hide. Half of them are frightened… trembling, and the other half seem mad. With arms crossed and faces a scowl, they whisper and grumble. That sense of teamwork and cohesion from earlier in the night has disappeared completely… and now they’re just  _ scared. _

Korosensei feels ashamed. He’d thought he was ready for a situation like this, but he clearly wasn’t. The students are in a horrific state. He lets his gaze drift Sugino and Yada’s bloodied clothes… does another headcount as he readies Terasaka’s splint. He asks his students to check up on each other, just in case… and tries his best to steady his breathing.

“I… believe no-one is fatally wounded. That comes as a relief,” he admits with a sigh. “That said, however: I  _ fully  _ apologize for how that went. I did not anticipate things to escalate the way they did, and you paid for that in your safety. I cannot possibly apologize enough.”

The students exchange a wary glance. But all the same, they give a few hesitant nods.

“We knew what we were getting into,” Mimura admits, scratching at his shoulder. “You told us it was dangerous from the start.”

_ “And as your supervisor,  _ I should have taken that as a sign not to bring you along.” Korosensei’s face goes a deep blue. “Which isn’t to say you did anything wrong… you did a wonderful job. But that was reckless of me, and I could have gotten one of you  _ killed.  _ I’d never have forgiven myself if that happened. I know you think you’re all strong… and you  _ are.  _ But you are not invincible. And it was selfish of me to take that risk.”

“For the record,” he continues. “You all have  _ full  _ permission to tell Karasuma-sensei about this. If you don’t feel safe around me or like you can trust in the decisions I make, then you have another adult you can come to. And if you feel I should be punished for this, then I will be. I just hope you can continue to accept me as your teacher, even despite my mistakes.”

“You… didn’t have very much time to think it through, yeah?” Fuwa asks. “You did the best you could on a short notice.”

“Yeah. We’re not mad at you, Sensei-” Isogai tries to reassure. “It’s not like we haven’t been in dangerous situations before.”

“And it was to help Yukimura-sensei out,” Sugino says. “I don’t mind getting a little hurt for that.” He gives an awkward smile. “I’m just glad you managed to patch us all up.”

“Yeah. It’d be a little different if any of us ended up getting permanently harmed,” Sugaya says. “But we  _ didn’t.” _

Still, there’s a sense of restlessness. Hara and Yoshida are quiet… exchanging a skeptical glance. Terasaka lets out a low huff. Okuda doesn’t speak, but  _ shivers  _ as she stares down at the ground, and Megu shoots him a dubious look.

“...While I’m thankful for your support,” Korosensei says. “I still deserve to be held accountable for this mistake. And so if you’re scared or angry, please don’t fault yourself for that. Please just also know that I  **_promise_ ** nothing like this will ever happen again. Seeing how this turned out… I  _ swear  _ I will never put you all in another situation of this caliber. It is my duty to keep you all safe with me… and I want you to know that I would  _ never  _ allow permanent harm to come to you.”

“Honestly…” Hazama whispers “I’m not so much mad at you as I am at Kayano.”

“Yeah,” Hayami pipes up suddenly. “What the hell  _ was  _ that!?”

“Why’d you just leap at that guy!? You could have gotten us killed!”

But Kayano doesn’t respond. Instead, still laser-focused on Aguri, she leans on her side and whispers “Hey. It’s okay. You’re out of there now. It’s okay. We saved you. We got him.”

“Kayano,” Terasaka repeats. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“You don’t have anything to be afraid of anymore. You’re safe. You’re safe.”

_ “Hey.” _

“...Please talk to me.”

**_“KAYANO.”_ **

Finally her head whips around. She stares at her classmates with irritated eyes.

“What is it!?” She asks. “Can’t you see I’m dealing with something?”

“We just wanna know what you just  _ did.  _ Why’d you go kamikaze on Shiro? You  _ knew  _ he was going to start shooting.”

“Yeah,” she replies. “I knew that. But I still did what I had to.”

“Had to?”

“Yeah! Had to!” She snaps. “Korosensei was just  **_standing there._ ** He knew Yanagisawa was going to kill him  _ and  _ Aguri and he wasn’t going to do anything. I had to step in, alright!?” She huffs. “It wasn’t the perfect plan, but at least I got  _ something  _ done.”

“Well… I didn’t want them dead any more than you did-” Hara murmurs.

“But that was still  _ really  _ stupid.”

“Almost makes it seem like you didn’t care about our safety,” Chiba points out.

“Were we just cannon fodder to you?” Takebayashi asks. “Or am I misconstruing this?”

Kayano opens her mouth to speak, but Korosensei steps in before she can. Putting himself between them, he says:

“I believe this isn’t something we should be discussing at the moment. It’s a very valid concern… and something we must talk about, but Kayano is not in her right mind right now, and I’d like to take care of her health concerns before we get into any interpersonal issues. Why don’t we discuss this in the morning?”

Terasaka looks ready to argue, but most of the other kids who were bickering with her reluctantly nod.

“Fine,” Yoshida says.

“Just… make sure it’s dealt with, alright?”

“...I was really scared back there.”

“I will,” Korosensei says. “Your feelings will be addressed. Your safety was blatantly disregarded, and I will make sure that’s something we don’t gloss over.” He pauses. “As for you… Kayano, I hope you’re appreciative of your friends. They’re being  _ very  _ patient with you right now. You put them in a genuinely dangerous situation, and the minute you’re in your right mind we will discuss that. Do you understand?”

“But-”

_ “No buts,”  _ Korosensei replied. “...I know you’re angry. And I know I may have seemed helpless. But what you did was dangerous and selfish. You could have gotten your classmates killed.”

Kayano’s eyes narrowed.

“...And you could have gotten Aguri killed. Glad to see I’m the only one who cares about  **_that.”_ **

Korosensei sighs… crouching down to her level. “I hope this doesn’t cause infighting between you all, for the record. If you want someone to be mad at, then please be mad at me. Understand that Kayano is suffering a lot right now. And Kayano… you try to understand what your classmates just went through was like something they’ve never experienced before.”

“Now,” he says, reaching a tentacle out. “Do you mind if I see your wound? I’d at least like to bandage it up.”

“...Do whatever you want,” Kayano replies. “Just don’t lay a hand on Aguri.”

Korosensei takes a look at her lower thigh. There’s a wound maybe two inches wide going straight through to the other side. The tentacle’s wormed its way out by now, but she’s bleeding pretty profusely onto the grass. He reaches into his pocket for some bandages, quickly disinfects it, and then wraps the site of the injury. He notes that her skin’s still warm to the touch.

(She’s got a fever for sure.)

“How does that feel?” He asks. “Does it hurt?”

He wishes he’d had the time to grab her tissue and cells, too. Some part of him wants to say he was simply too panicked- but that’s an excuse. He failed her, and because of that, she’s suffering.

“No shit it hurts,” she responds. “But I’ll be fine. So stop touching me, alright?”

Korosensei lets out a sigh. He’s still going to have to remove her tentacles, but that can wait just a moment. For now…

(His gaze drifts)

“How  _ is  _ Yukimura-sensei doing, anyways?” 

The students begin to murmur amongst themselves.

“Yeah. Forget about  _ Kayano.  _ Forget about  _ us!  _ How's  _ she!?" _

“She looks to be in a pretty bad state.”

“Can she hear us right now?”

“You’re gonna be able to fix what happened to her, right?”

Aguri flinches some as they start to grow louder. Korosensei reaches an arm out to put some room between her and the students. Face a pale blue, he says “Give her some space, okay? Why don’t you just let me and Kayano talk to her right now. I’m sure she’s very excited to see you all, but…-” 

“No,” Nagisa says. “That’s fair. “We wouldn’t wanna overwhelm her.”

He and the rest of the students step back.

Korosensei scoots in slightly closer to Aguri… maneuvers himself to be placed in front of her. She only reacts slightly as he comes into her field of view. Whole body shaking, she’s having a staring contest with the ground. She’s on her hands and knees… clutching at the grass. And if he has to make a guess, he’d venture she hasn’t processed a word they’ve said.

“She’s not responding,” Kayano says, blankly. “I don’t know why you think it’s going to be any different for you.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Korosensei says, inching in a bit closer. He lowers his voice. “...Hey. Aguri, can you hear us?”

Silence.

“...Aguri. It’s okay. You’re out of there now.”

It’s not, but what else is he supposed to say? She’s looking at him with glazed over, teary eyes. How else is he supposed to prevent his heart from breaking?

“It’s your sister and I.”

He reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder. And breathing in… breathing out, heavy, Aguri finally asks:

_ “What?” _

* * *

When Aguri’s first freed from that place there’s a  _ lot  _ going on… but she doesn’t process most of it. She remembers gunshots. She remembers a lot of shouting, and she thinks she remembers a  _ scream. _ She remembers making out a familiar face, and then... nothing. She’s gone, and so is the lab.

She’s soaring through the air at a million miles a minute… and she thinks she’s going to throw up. But before she can even process  _ that,  _ it’s already over, and she’s placed, gingerly, on the ground.

It’s an unreal sensation… one she can’t even believe. But as her fingers bury themselves in the grass and a leaf falls to the ground beside her... she feels tears trail down her face and buckles-- overwhelmed-- to the ground. She hasn't the slightest clue what just happened, but it shakes her to the **_core._ **

(She can feel the night breeze on her face.)

Somewhere in the distance she hears arguing… but none of that matters right now. And so instead, shaking like a leaf, she simply tries to focus in on the sensation and treasure it while it lasts. Each heavy breath in and out makes her chest ache, and snot dribbles down her face as she starts to weep. She listens to the birds chirp… the cicadas hum, and as someone places themselves down next to her, she hardly notices.

(Golden eyes and green hair. Why do they look so depressed?)

Some part of her’s tempted to ask where she is… but her mouth feels dry. She hasn’t talked in months. And besides… what's the point? What matters is that…-  _ that she’s  _ **_out,_ ** even if there's no way it's real. She wants to be able to appreciate that before reality inevitably comes crashing in on her.

_ (She just wants to feel the breeze for a little bit longer.) _

There are very few words she can make out. For the most part, her ears are ringing. Briefly, she wonders who the people talking are… but can’t will herself to care. She just hopes it’s not people working under Yanagisawa. She couldn’t possibly fight back against them. She doesn’t want them to come for her. Not yet.

_ “Korosensei.” _

_ “Kayano.” _

**_“Aguri.”_ **

That’s hers, right? She’s… Aguri? Yeah. She has to be. She’s Aguri and she’s 25 years old and... she’s scared. She remembers that for sure.

(She tries not to doubt her own mind.)

When someone else approaches he’s different to see. He’s strange looking… not like the girl. He towers over her and has bright yellow skin. He’s almost hard to look at.

...Aguri flinches back.

But carefully, he scoots in closer to her, and the girl does, too.

“Aguri……… can you……… hear us?”

Her head’s still pounding, and she can hardly tear herself from the grass. Hands shaking-- limbs heavy, she tries to make out his voice.

“………okay……… you’re out of there, now.”

She swears she recognizes it, but she’s not sure how. It’s too distant… foreign. And anyone addressing her at all kind of scares her. She hasn’t heard that name in so long. And so… why-?

“It’s your sister and I.”

_ (Why does that make her heart ache?) _

Slowly, he unfurls a strange arm to place his hand on her shoulder… and she feels her blood run cold. Struggling for breath, she asks:

“What?”

The girl and the creature exchange a surprised look… almost like they didn’t expect her to actually speak. But before they can respond, she continues.

“I’m sorry. I just--  _ I don’t…  _ I don’t know what’s going on,” she clarifies, rambling. “I… it’s been a long time since--  _ I know this probably isn’t real, but…”  _ she drifts off, collapses into the grass. “...It’s hard to focus. I apologize.”

She forgets what she was asking about in the first place. Something about…- she means…- she’s not really  **_out,_ ** is she…? But what is this, then? Another trick? Is that what she wanted them to talk about?

The girl and the creature are quiet for a long moment… sending her a sorrowful look. Aguri stares straight back at them, trying to focus through blurred vision. She… knows she recognizes the girl’s face. What is it they said earlier? Sister? She feels like she had it on the tip of her tongue just a moment ago. But… that’s not her sister, is it? She… had a sister before all of this, yeah… but she didn’t look like that, did she? No. She knows her sister. She’s _ not--  _ there’s no--

‘Kayano,’ they called her. That’s not right. It was… it was-- there was something else. She can’t remember the name, and it cuts at her like knives, but she’s certain that’s not correct. And… and besides, she remembers what her sister’s smile looked like.

(This girl’s not smiling now.)

And then… as for the other one, she’s  _ sure  _ she hasn’t seen him. The longer she looks at him the stranger he gets. He’s tall, with bright yellow skin, and a rotund, unnatural face. He stares at her with beady white eyes… and his grin glints in the moonlight. Now that she thinks about it he hasn’t stopped smiling once since she’s seen him. He makes her scared.

Why is he talking about her like he knows her?

She doesn’t… doesn’t know--

She scoots back, half unconsciously-- but doesn’t tear her shoulder from his grip. It’s been a very long time since anyone’s touched her, and she appreciates the gesture, even if it’s still a bit hard to breathe.

Looking at them, there’s something weird about his hands. They’re contorted-- unnatural, like the rest of him… but what is it about them? No. There’s something specific. They almost seem… seem-

_ (Familiar.) _

She starts to squint… wracks her mind. But before she can conspire too much she shakes her head. No. There’s no way she’s seen those before. The only other tentacles she’s ever seen before… they’re-- they’re long gone.

“Don’t apologize,” the creature says, gently. “It’s okay. You don’t have anything to be sorry for.”

“We got you out of there,” the girl adds on. “And so you don’t need to be afraid anymore, alright? I took care of him.”

Aguri blinks. Took… took care of who? Yanagisawa? No. There’s no way. No-one could manage to lay a hand on him. And besides…-

“N… no-one knew I was alive. H… how did you--?”

“Itona told me,” the girl says. “Er…- uh…- a classmate of mine.”

“But… but everyone thought I was dead. I’m- _ I’m supposed to be--” _

“Indeed, everyone believed you were dead. But the minute we heard there was a possibility you weren’t we had to see for ourselves. I’m sorry we didn’t come sooner.”

They’re both talking with such gentle voices. Aguri can hardly comprehend it. It’s… it’s been far too long since she’s heard a voice like that. It makes her want to flinch back and cry. There’s no way she could possibly deserve that kind of kindness. And yet… here it is.

“I… it’s okay,” she says, clutching at the grass yet again. “It’s not-- you don’t have anything to…- I’m sorry.” She pauses. “It’s hard to talk. I’m just trying to focus on it… appreciate it before I have to go back. I hope that doesn’t-- I’m not trying to…”

“Woah, woah,” The creature says, gently squeezing her shoulder. “It’s okay.”

“And you’re  _ not  _ going back. I don’t know where you got that idea,” The girl says, looking almost mad. _ “No-one is taking you back there, alright?” _

She says it so confidently, but Aguri has trouble believing it. She knows Yanagisawa’s got his claws in her… he always has. And before she even knows it she’ll be back to that hell. Even so, she thinks she appreciates this. It’s a moment of respite. And it may not last… but she hasn’t had that in a very long time.

The stars look so pretty up above.  _ Oh god _ \--  **please don't take it away.**

“Indeed, Akari’s correct,” the creature says. “No-one will be taking you back there. I can reassure you. Now-”

He doesn’t get the chance to finish. Head shooting around, Aguri murmurs _ “Akari?” _

(That’s… that’s the name. It has to be! It’s burned into her mind somewhere. Akari. Akari Yukimura. She’s fourteen years old, and she’s--)

“Yeah,” the girl says. “It’s me.”

**_(HER SISTER!)_ **

Aguri doesn’t even process what she’s doing. It’s almost an involuntary reaction. Collapsing into Akari’s arms, she wraps her arms around her shoulders and squeezes  _ tight.  _ She buries her face in her shoulder and struggles for breath… tries her best not to bawl.

“I’m… I’m so happy to--  _ I thought I’d never see you again,”  _ she whispers.  **_“I’m so sorry.”_ **

“W… woah,” Akari says, stiffening slightly. “For  _ what?” _

“There’s… there’s so much I’ve been meaning to-- I really should have…-” she drifts off-- bats at her eyes _. “...I don’t know why I didn’t ask him to look out for you.  _ I’m sorry. I didn’t forget about you,  _ I promise.”  _

It’s been weighing on her for  **_months._ ** She knows she was a shitty sister to Akari… but she’s missed her so bad all the same. She hopes she can forgive her one day. She’s been all Aguri’s had to cling to. If her baby sister was mad at her then she… she wouldn’t know what to do.

Akari’s hands drift up Aguri’s back. Stunned, she searches for words. But when none come out, she seems to settle for “...Don’t worry. I didn’t forget about you, either.”

Her grip tightens around Aguri’s back.

Aguri treasures the touch… at least until she notices just how much  _ warmth  _ Akari is radiating. She feels feverish, and she trembles where she sits. It pulls her back to reality. And locking up, she suddenly says.

“W… wait! Why are you here? You were supposed to…- you thought I was dea--  _ this is a very dangerous place.”  _ She sits up. “You need to get out of here…  **_now. He’s going to hurt you-”_ **

“I don’t think we’ll need to be worrying about that,” a voice from her right says. It’s the creature. He’s staring at her with patient, reassuring eyes.

“I understand you think that you’ve left your sister unsupervised all this time, but that’s just not true,” he continues. “She enrolled in my class shortly after you passed. I’ve been keeping her safe in your stead. And so if you’re worried about Yanagisawa harming her, I’d put those fears to rest. She actually left him in a pretty sorry state.”

Akari nods. “...You think I’d just let him get away unharmed after what he did to you? Mark my words, Aguri. I am going to  **_kill him.”_ **

And there it is: that dizzy feeling again. Akari’s words concern her, and she feels her temperature start to rise… but it’s the  _ creature's  _ claim that really leaves her confused. What is… what is he going on about? Class?

“W… who  _ are  _ you?” She whispers. “What do you-- do you mean you’ve been looking out for…-?”

She can’t even bring herself to finish.

The creature’s quiet for a long moment. Shifting slightly, he says “...Ah. I suppose it only checks out that you wouldn’t recognize me. It’s been a very long time, and I  _ have  _ changed quite a bit. I’m sorry I didn’t clarify this sooner.” He shuts his eyes. “It’s me, Aguri. I’ve been doing as you asked. It’s Reaper.”

...Aguri’s heart stops in it’s chest. Her gaze shoots down towards his hands, and she flinches away. For a moment she swears she spots something familiar, but she can’t -- no, **_won’t_** \-- believe it. She rockets backwards, Akari still in her arms as she presses herself desperately up against a tree.

_ “No you aren’t--”  _ She whispers, voice ragged.

The creature pauses.

“...What?”

**_“No you aren’t,”_ ** she repeats, pulling Akari in close and up against her chest.

The creature motions to stand… but must decide against it. Instead, still keeping himself low to the ground, he starts to inch in closer to her; voice calm as he speaks.

“I’m well aware that I look different now, Aguri. But you must believe me that-”

“You’re  _ dead! _ Don’t try and lie to me! He told me himself!  **_He killed you!”_ **

Her voice is a shriek. She tears up at the thought. Heart pounding-- pulse racing, she pushes herself further back and shuts her eyes. She shakes her head again and _ again and again.  _ Akari feels stiff in her arms.

“Killed me?” The creature repeats. “No. You’ve gotten the wrong impression.” And all at once, it seems to dawn on him. “...He lied to you.”

Aguri had known that was a possibility from the beginning… and  _ so  _ desperately she wants to believe it. But listening to the creature she feels her heart race… some form of hope bubble up in her chest, and  **_instantly_ ** she wants to squash it. She knows better by now than to believe in things like that. She knows  **_better_ ** by now than to think that good things happen to Aguri Yukimura. She knows better by now than to think that…-

That anyone would come back for her at all.

_ “...No he didn’t--” _

“Yes. He did. You simply must hear me out, Aguri. He’s trying to break your-”

**_“DON’T YOU DARE LIE TO ME!”_** Her voice is a scream. “Please. _Pleasepleasepleaseplease._ _Please_ don’t try to get my hopes up. _I can’t handle it a second time!”_

“Woah.  _ Woah,” _ Akari says, shifting slightly in her grip. “Aguri… I get that you’re scared, but you need to calm down. I still don’t entirely know who Korosensei is… if he killed you or not-- but I think he’s the real deal. I saw him at the lab the night you got hurt.”

No.  _ No.  _ **_No._ **

_...This isn’t real, either, is it? _

Her grip tightens on Akari, then falters. She drops her to the ground and then makes a mad dash… hides amongst the crevice of another tree. Suddenly the figures around her seem threatening-- shadowy. She can’t make out their faces, but they resemble them far too much: the scientists at the lab. They loom above her… poke and prod at her… make her want to scream.

“Stop it.  **_Stop it,”_ ** she demands, covering her face with her hands. It feels unfamiliar… alien. Her skin bubbles and writhes as she speaks. “I know this isn’t real.  **_I know this isn’t real._ ** I’m not stupid! I’m not crazy! I’m not going to fall for it!”

“He… he said he killed you all!” she continues. “The- the class… Reaper! He told me himself! He was so  _ glad  _ about it!” She shakes her head. “He couldn’t have made that up! He was never--  **_he’s not happy!_ ** He wouldn’t have talked like that unless he really…  _ really--” _

She sputters for breath. Her whole body quakes. She lets out a raggedy little hiccup and chokes on her words.

It’s fake. It’s all fake. Her sister isn’t here. Reaper isn’t here. It’s a trick-- a trap. She’s going to die alone _. She’s never going to get to apologize.  _ **_She--_ **

“Aguri-” The girl begs, reaching out a hand towards her.

**_“STAY AWAY FROM ME!”_ **

She can’t take it. She  **_won’t_ ** take it. Who… who cares how real it feels!? She knows she can’t trust in her own senses! She  _ knows  _ he’s crafty! And it’s not like--  **_Reaper or Akari have never indicated they’d come back for her before!_ ** She’s not worth going through that kind of risk for. She’s not--  _ they would never! _

It’s not real. **_It’s not real._ **

_ “Please!” _ She shrieks. “Make it stop! I can’t take it!  **_I can’t take it a second time!_ ** I know I deserve it, but please, **_god--_ ** you’ve got to listen to me! I don’t want to go back!”

And she is, right? Because all of this is a  _ test?  _ All of this is…- is- a tactic? That’s right. It has to be. It has to be. They’re  **_gone._ **

“None of the class is dead--” The creature says, voice still ringing in Aguri’s ears. “Look around. I know it’s hard to believe me right now, but I want you to look at them. They’ll be far more familiar. Look at them… count. You’ll see the same students."

No. No.  **_No!_ ** She can’t risk it! She catches sight of it… them crowding around her… but her eyes just won’t focus. What’s that? 23? 24? No. No. That’s not right. That’s not the real number. Who’s dead.  **_WHO’S DEAD!?_ **

“Count them,” the creature repeats. “I can help you count if need be. Repeat their names with me: listen.”

He doesn’t wait for a response. Keeping his distance, he raises one of his malformed,  _ horribly familiar  _ hands… and he starts to count.

“That’s Karma Akabane,” he says. “He’s student number one. You may not remember him… I believe he was suspended through most of your time at Kunugigaoka, but he’s still one of the 25 that must be accounted for. Can you repeat that after me? ‘Karma.’ Say his name and take deep breaths.”

Unconsciously, her gaze drifts to the boy she’s pointing at. She doesn’t mean to, but it’s almost on instinct… like she’s afraid he’ll  _ strike _ if she doesn't obey.

It’s hard to make out his face… her vision’s still blurred, but something about the way he’s standing is weird. He’s trying to look cool- tough- but his muscles are surprisingly tensed as he leans back against a tree.

She doesn’t recognize him… not even a little bit. That scares her. What does the creature mean ‘suspended?’ She doesn’t… she doesn’t remember--

(No. There it is. Somewhere in the back of her mind. She’s dropping off papers at a students house and she… _ she--) _

“Karma,” she says, voice strained. “That’s… Karma.”

“Good,” The creature responds. “Karma is accounted for.” He turns… points once more. “Which makes way for student number two. This is Yuuma Isogai. Do you remember him?”

Aguri’s gaze drifts. She locks eyes with a tall boy hanging out by the front of the crowd of students. He has black hair and golden eyes. He gives her a nervous wave as she turns his way.

“I…-” she drifts off. “Maybe.” She feels like she’s seen the face somewhere before, but how can she be certain? What if… what if her mind’s just playing tricks on her? And even if these really  _ are  _ her set of students: the correct 25, how does she know she’s not just hallucinating it? This could be a mere  **_pipe dream._ **

“Good,” the creature says. “Maybe is good. Maybe is better than ‘no.’” He swivels his head. “Next is Taiga Okajima. That would be student number three.”

“Taiga… Okajima,” she repeats. And little beads of sweat drip down her forehead.

She’s… trying to commit the name to memory somewhere far away. She’s strapped down to the operating table and she’s trying to memorize it. Karma-- Isogai-- Okajima. She can’t make out their faces anymore and it scares her. Who… who is it that comes after Okajima again? She’s not even sure she remembered back then.

...How?  _ How  _ is this happening, then? Could she really be hallucinating this-- their names included, if she doesn’t even remember them? The creature reaches out-- points one of his gangly, disfigured fingers towards another student, and Aguri starts to wrack her mind. No.  _ No. _ She’s either making this up or some of them are missing. There’s no other way.

Still-- locking eyes with the girl the creature’s singled out… Aguri doesn’t recognize her, and when the creature murmurs “Okano. Hinata Okano,” it’s only then that her breath releases.

That… sounds right. Okano sounds right. But she hadn’t thought about that up until now, had she? It’d been utterly blank.

Okuda comes next. And after Okuda Megu. Kanzaki. Kimura. Kurahashi and Nagisa... he leads her through each one. Some she remembers better than others-- some she swears she barely remembers at all… but there’s a  _ glint  _ of recognition to each one… and as he finishes, saying “Yoshida” in that voice so calm, Aguri stops and stares.

25…- 25 sounds right. That’s 25 students, yes? And as she tries to focus on them the fog starts to clear. They have such frightened expressions. Could she really make those out in the lab? She remembers trying so hard just to remember the color of her sister’s  _ eyes.  _ In isolation-- utterly mad, would she really be able to visualize the way their mouths crease when they frown? Somehow it feels doubtful.

The creature inches in once more. This time he’s slower. He tells her, voice a whisper, that this is real.

“I know you’re scared. But please, you need to trust me. Take deep breaths. Focus on your students. Feel the grass between your fingers. You’re out of there now… and everyone is here. Yanagisawa lied to you. And you know it’s in his nature to do so. But no-one killed them.” He pauses… drifts off. “And no-one killed me.” 

They lock eyes for a split second, but Aguri averts her gaze. Simply too unready, still, to accept it, she looks out to the students and their gaze, instead. They’re looking back at her… some concerned, some scared-- others sympathetic and pitying. Akari’s standing awkwardly-- heartbroken, hurt, almost, in the way that she carries herself.

(Her eyes are golden.)

The sight of them steadies Aguri’s heart some. She… thinks that’s right. She…  _ thinks  _ she’s not forgetting anyone. At least… she’s pretty sure. But she still can’t trust herself-- not yet. She’d never forgive herself if she forgot anyone. And even if she isn’t, she doesn’t think she’s ready to admit that the creature is Reaper yet. If he weren’t… if it turned out that he was really still dead, then-

...Well, she doesn’t think she could handle it.

Purging any thoughts of The Reaper from her mind, she asks who the other two are.

“There’s… 27,” she says. “I counted. Karma, Isogai, Okajima through Yoshida, and then… another two.” She pauses. “One’s Akari… but I don’t really get why she’s here. And then there’s… there’s--”

She almost hadn’t spotted him standing there near the back of the crowd. But there, just out of view, perches a white-haired and yellow-eyed boy. He hasn’t stopped staring at her once since she arrived.

(His gaze is weirdly piercing… and she somehow feels she’s felt it before. No.  _ No. _ She’s  **_certain_ ** she’s seen those eyes. And so how?  **_Who?_ ** That’s not a member of her class, is it!?)

“Ah,” the creature says. “That would be Itona. He’s the one who helped us get you out of there.” He pauses. “...There’s a lot we need to explain to you, it seems. Three new students have joined the class since I saw you last. But I’m also afraid that all of that can wait. For now… let’s focus on what matters.”

He reaches a hand out-- but this time he doesn’t touch her. Instead, open palm resting in the air, he says “You’re safe. We can worry about sharing the full story later.  _ You’re safe. _ You have time, and I promise you that this will all make sense soon.  _ You’re _ **_safe…_ ** we’re going to take you home, and then you can finally rest. You have nothing else to worry about.”

**_“This is real._ ** I’m safe… your students are safe, and you’re safe. We are never going to let anyone harm you again. Do you understand? We came back for you. Everything is going to be alright, and I am  _ so  _ sorry that we didn’t manage to do something sooner.”

She stares at that outstretched hand for a long, tense, moment… and she swears she recognizes that kind voice. It’s somewhere far away now… but she feels the breeze on her face, and notes just how  _ real  _ it is. Breathing in and out-- shaking, gently… Aguri gives a tiny nod and she does something she hasn’t done in a very long time... something that makes her feel stupid. But something that also makes her feel a little good, too.

Aguri collapses into his arms.

And with that, she  _ hopes. _

Letting out desperate little hiccups, she buries her face in his shoulder. She hyperventilates… cries so hard she quakes. And although at first the creature tenses, he soon relaxes… arms drifting down to wrap around her back. He pulls her in close. And to her surprise, his touch feels familiar.

She’s still not sure if he is who he says he is. It’s one of those things that’s just too hard to believe. But there  _ is  _ one thing she knows for certain and that’s that she can trust this person in general. His voice is simply too kind… his touch simply too soft  _ not _ to.

_ “I’m here. You’re here. This is real. You’re safe.” _

_ “You’re here. I’m here. This is real. I’m safe,”  _ Aguri repeats.

...Her voice is a sob.

She still can’t believe it. And so Yanagisawa really did lie to her.  **_He lied to her about everything._ ** She knows that probably only seems obvious-- but that was all she had to cling to for so long. How was she  _ not  _ supposed to take his word at face value? He was all she had to go off of. He was all she’d ever thought she’d see again!

Even now, this doesn’t feel real… some little part of her is telling her this is a trap. She  _ knows  _ she can’t take the heartbreak a second time. But all the same… the creature holds her close, and she knows he’ll be willing to hold her until it all finally sinks in.

She almost feels ashamed. If… if this really is him, then she can’t believe she reacted that way in front of him. He must think of her as a monster… something pathetic. She tries her best to murmur apologies, but they don’t really come out… and he tells her to just keep focusing on grounding techniques.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” he says, voice firm. “Just keep taking deep breaths, okay? Just take deep breaths.”

“How did…  _ how did you guys even find out I was alive?”  _ Aguri sputters. “How did you get in there? Things were fortified. Yanagisawa had to-- he had to have been prepared. I heard screaming.  _ Was anyone hurt!?” _

“No,” the creature says. “Not badly.” He pauses. “There was… certainly some chaos, and I made some mistakes. But that’s nothing for you to be worrying about.”

“We’ll… tell you the full story later,” a voice from behind her says. “But for now, he’s right: you should just relax.”

For a moment Aguri tenses. But just as soon she relaxes… recognizing Akari’s voice. She turns, slightly, still not letting go of the creature as she cranes her head back to look at the girl.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “For not believing you. I… I should have taken your word at face value being your sister and all… but I…- I-”

“No,” Akari says. “Don’t apologize. You were scared.” She pauses. “Quite frankly… I’m still having trouble believing all of this is real, too.”

She crouches down to Aguri’s level. Her knees are shaking and she’s got this bandage wrapped around her thigh. There’s this furrowed, creased look to her brow… a dull look in her eyes. She looks like she’s aged a decade in the past...-- well-- however long it’s been.

(Aguri feels terrible for putting that grief on her.)

“It’s real,” she says, still hardly sure herself. “It’s real,” she repeats, desperately trying to console her baby sister. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I had to go away for so long. I’m sorry… you probably thought I was dead. But I’m here now _. I’m here.” _

By the time she’s done speaking, she’s not sure if she’s reassuring Akari or herself.

“You’re here.  _ You’re here.” _

Aguri’s sure Yanagisawa will be back for her. He’ll make sure of it. But at the moment she just can’t care. She’s happy to be out at all. She’s happy to be able to feel the warmth of a hug. Whatever comes next-- that doesn’t matter one bit.

“I’m so happy to see you again,” she says, voice a whimper. “I never thought anything like this would happen. I’d completely given up hope.”

“I know,” Akari says. “I know. But we’ll get him, I swear.”

And abruptly… the creature shifts. Standing up-- gently sliding Aguri off of his arm, he says “I think it’s clear the Yukimura’s need some alone time. The rest of you should go home.”

It’s only then that Aguri reprocesses the students staring at her. Slowly, they start to nod.

“I’ll take care of making sure they get to their home safely. As for the rest of you… it’s best you get some rest. It’s been a very long night.” He reaches out a hand… holds his palm open. “Mind if I get all of your phones? I’d like to add you to speed dial, just in case anything happens.” He pauses. “I believe you should be safe. Kayano left Yanagisawa in quite a state, and his beef is with me… not you all. But all the same, I’d never forgive myself if something happened.”

“You mean he might come after us?” A black-haired girl says, eyes watery.

“It’s… doubtful,” The creature says. “Again: _ I  _ am his enemy. But I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’ll add myself as a contact. If you think you need help, then just let me know. I will be there in an  _ instant.  _ Understood?” 

The kids give another nod. And one by one, they step forward. Eventually, even the ones who had been shouting earlier are compliant. 

“Just make sure to stay true to that word, yeah?” A tall, strong-looking boy instructs. “Wouldn’t want things getting screwed up again.”

“I very much will,” the creature reassures. “I promise. Now all of you get home. Make sure that the injured students arrive there safely. I will take care of Kayano’s situation… and we can discuss the rest of this in the morning.”

There’s a long moment of silence. But finally, a blonde-haired girl speaks up and says “Sounds good to me. Let’s get going.”

And from there the students disperse, leaving Aguri, Akari, and the creature alone in the clearing. Aguri leans on Akari some, desperate for the human touch. Akari doesn’t shy away. Hands wrapped firmly around her sister’s back, she holds Aguri close.

The creature turns to look at them… stares at them with his beady, white eyes. Aguri looks into those unfamiliar eyes and wonders just how different  _ she  _ must seem. She remembers Yanagisawa’s cruel comments about her mutations. She's ashamed to be seen.

(She hopes… Reaper doesn’t think she’s…-

_ No. She won’t even say it.) _

If he’s thinking anything, he certainly doesn’t say it. Instead, gaze locked on  _ Akari,  _ he says “Now… I believe it’s time we finally remove those.”

Akari shifts slightly. “Well,” she says. “I know what I agreed to… but are you  _ really  _ sure that’s the best idea? What if I’m the only one who can take him down?”

“You are not under any pressure to do so,” The creature responds. “That is not your responsibility. I don’t want to see you hurt over something so beyond your control.”

“I mean, it’s clear  _ you  _ weren’t going to fight back against him,” Akari huffs, bringing one knee up to her chest. “It’s only because of these I was able to save ‘sis. And besides…” she drifts off. “What if I’m the only one who can take  _ you  _ down? Does  _ that  _ make a difference, then?”

The creature’s quiet for a long moment. Bringing his hand to his chin, he says “There are plenty of other ways to go about that. You have a fine bloodlust, Kayano… but I would never want you to go about assassinating me in a way that harms you.”

There’s a palpable tension to the air. But still more confused than anything, Aguri asks “What are you two… talking about?” She knows there’s a lot she missed, but  _ assassination?  _ Bloodlust? Now that doesn’t--  _ that doesn’t make any sense.  _ “Is Akari in danger?”

The thought grips at her heart. Akari  _ seems  _ fine,  _ but if anything ended up happening to her after all of that…  _ well Aguri just doesn’t think she could take it.

The creature blinks, voice strained as he tries to find a way to go about this delicately. “Well…  _ yes,”  _ he says awkwardly. “But it’s not anything you should be worrying about. I’m going to take care of--”

“I have tentacles,” Akari says, point-blank. “And I’m going to use them to avenge you.”

Aguri’s blood runs cold. And all at once her ears are ringing again. Blinking, dumbfounded, she points down at her own own arm and murmurs “Like… like--?”

“Like those,” Akari confirms, a blank look on her face. “Yeah.”

Aguri’s head starts to spin… and again, her knees feel weak. She remembers the excruciating pain of the Antimatter experiments and wants to choke. Imagining… imagining Akari going through the same thing--

No.  **_No!_ **

“However,” The creature says. “It is something I am going to take care of. And so--”

**_“Who did this to you?”_ **

Literally rasping, Aguri reaches out to take Akari’s shoulders. She clings to them tight… lets out little sputtery breaths, and stares right through her.

Akari blinks, tensing slightly. Confused, she asks 

“Pardon?”

**_“Who did this to you?”_ ** Aguri repeats. “Did Yanagisawa lay a hand on you?”

“Woah.  _ Woah,” _ the creature interjects. “I believe this is a misunderstanding. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that Akari implanted those herself. Yanagisawa was never involved at any stage of the process.” 

He takes a step closer.

“That said, however,” he continues. “You’re right in that these are very dangerous for her. That’s why I’ll be removing them immediately.”

Akari scowls. Shaking her head, she says “No. You’re not. You’ve gotta listen to me, Aguri. These are a good thing for me, I swear.”

Aguri’s grip had started to loosen… but it tightens again at her words. Eyes wide, she asks  _ “Good?” _

Nothing about the tentacles could possibly  _ ever  _ be good! They’re dangerous… and they hurt like hell. Dealing with that overwhelming pain… she doesn’t want that to be something her sister has to push herself through!

**_“Good,”_ ** Akari repeats. “Yeah. They might-- they might be a little scary at first-- and there’s a bit of a tax health-wise… but the pros  _ far  _ outweigh the cons. I can use these tentacles to protect you! Make sure no-one ever lays a hand on you again. I can  **_kill_ ** Yanagisawa for what he made you go through!”

There’s a conviction to her voice… and all at once, Aguri remembers hearing a horrible screaming in the lab. The smell of burnt flesh. Akari’s warm to the touch, and the creature says that Yanagisawa was left in ‘quite a state.’

Akari. Did she… did she  _ do _ that?

She’s not sure why, but Aguri feels sick. As much as she resents Yanagisawa for what he put her through, she doesn’t want anyone to have  _ hurt  _ him. And even more importantly- she doesn’t want anyone to have hurt themselves just to ‘put him in his place.’ She  _ knows  _ just how bad Antimatter feels in the human body. Imagining Akari putting herself through that… it makes her head spin.

“No.  **_No,”_ ** she says, voice strained. “There are  _ no  _ pros to this.  _ What are you talking about, Akari?” _

“I can get reveng-”

_ “I don’t want you to do that!”  _ Aguri’s voice is a cry. “My  _ god,  _ Akari. What he did was terrible, but hurting him back isn’t going to fix anything. And why are you hurting yourself? You could have gotten yourself  _ killed!  _ Are you  **_crazy?”_ **

Harsh, perhaps… but she doesn’t know what else to say. The despair’s so intense it makes her chest wrack with pain. She pulls Akari in close and shakes her head.

“I… I…-” Akari drifts off. 

And all at once, that tension fades from her body. 

_ “You mean… you wouldn’t have wanted me to do this?” _

“No!”

She hates hearing those words from her sister’s mouth. In  **_no world_ ** would she have wanted this. Imagining Akari experiencing the same pain she’s been through… it’s too painful to comprehend.

“Please,” she says. “Let him remove your tentacles. If there is  _ any  _ chance it is not too late, then I want you to take that.  _ I don’t know what I’d do with myself if something happened to you on top of all of this.” _

Tears dribble down her cheeks… land on Akari’s shoulder. Akari sits there for a long moment-- tense… before awkwardly pulling away.

For a moment she looks ready to argue-- that same fire in her eyes. But listening to Aguri cry... it dies down. The bloodlust drains from her expression, and finally she just looks defeated.

“Fine,” she says, turning back to face the creature and unfurling her tentacles. “Take them off if that’s what Aguri wants. But you’ve gotta promise you’ll help her too. And you’ve gotta promise that if you really  _ were  _ involved in all of this that you’ll make up for it.  _ That you’ll make up for trying to take away the only family I ever had.” _

Aguri blinks. The way Akari talks leaves her distraught. She sounds so hopeless. And what is she talking about ‘trying to take her away?’ If this person really is who he says he is… if he’s Reaper, then he has  _ nothing  _ to do with taking her away. That was all Yanagisawa’s choice.

She opens her mouth to speak, but the creature shakes his head. Almost as if saying ‘let sleeping dogs lie,’ he shoots her an intense look and reaches into his pocket… pulling out a pair of tweezers.

“I promise you I will do whatever I can for your sister,” he reassures. “And as for making up to you all… that’s all I’ve been trying to do all year.” He pauses. “Thank you for cooperating, Kayano. I promise you this will be for the best.”

With that, he removes the tentacles. It’s a gruesome endeavor. He takes them carefully in his tweezers and starts to  _ pull.  _ They come out like weeds. Her skin rises with the motion of the appendages, and  _ tears  _ as they make their way through the skin. Tugging gently as he can, the creature works them out from deep within her muscle… and with one final  _ yank  _ finally removes them from her body entirely. They wriggle within the tweezer as he does… and he lets out an exhausted, relieved sigh.

Akari doesn’t move a muscle. Even as blood dribbles down her neck... she sits, still, and staring at Aguri.

Aguri shifts, trying her best not to cry.

“You may need burn ointment,” the creature says. “The wound from the removal should heal over rather easily… I know Itona’s did, but you singed yourself pretty bad during your attack. How are you feeling?”

“Not… really interested in talking about myself,” Akari replies. She starts to reach out to touch the back of her neck, but must decide against it. She stops halfway there, hand hovering mid-motion. “We should focus on Aguri. Help her now, too.”

The creature blinks. “Pardon?”

“Do the same thing,” Akari says. “Remove her tentacles.” She pauses, dread creeping into her voice. “You  _ can,  _ right?”

Aguri exchanges a look with the creature. And for a moment, she’s hopeful. But feeling her muscle writhe beneath her skin, she has a feeling she knows what he’ll answer before he even gets the chance to say it.

“I’m… afraid not,” the creature replies. “H-”

_ “What do you mean you’re afraid not!?”  _ Akari interjects, springing forth to take him by the collar. He jerks to the side for a split-second, but must decide against fleeing… because he allows her to grab him… staring at her with sad eyes.  _ “You  _ **_just_ ** _ said you’d help her!” _

_ “And I will,”  _ the creature replies, voice surprisingly calm. “But I’m afraid your sister’s condition is something much more complicated to handle than simple tentacle implants. If the situation is the same as the other case I know of, then she had Antimatter injected directly into her bloodstream. It’s not a foreign invader that’s troubling her right now… it’s true mutations.” 

Akari trembles as he speaks. Her skin is a ghostly white. For another moment her eyes flash with that anger again… like she wants to hurt him-- but something tells Aguri she couldn’t manage that even if she  _ wanted  _ to. She’s in too poor a state right now.

And so… instead of being angry, she’s sad. Slowly… Akari’s head sinks. And lip twitching-- hands still weak-- she looks up at the creature… a break to her voice.

_ “You mean… there’s really nothing we can do to help her?” _

It’s a desperate, desolate sort of conclusion. Her eyes water as she speaks… and tears run down her cheeks.

“Now…, I’m not sure about  _ nothing,”  _ The creature replies. “I’m sure…- I’m sure we’ll be able to get  **_something_ ** figured out. But we’re simply too early into observing this to know for sure. Regardless, we’ll do whatever we can. And-”

That’s when they hear a twig snap.

Aguri’s blood runs cold. Korosensei tenses. Akari starts to hurry to her feet, but he grabs her, pulling her back by the collar of her shirt.

**_“Who is it!?”_ ** He demands. “Show yourself!”

Aguri’s head starts to spin… and suddenly her eyes are watering as well. She’d known from the beginning that Yanagisawa would probably be back for her-- but this  **_soon?_ ** She hadn’t even gotten the chance to say everything she’d wanted to say!

She covers her head with her hands.

“W-woah!” A voice cries out. “Don’t worry. It’s just me. I probably shouldn’t have been listening in, but-”

Aguri’s breath steadies as a blue-haired boy steps out from the foliage. 

“...I got worried.”

He looks oddly ashamed. Fiddling with a hair-band wrapped around his wrist, he stares intently at the ground.

“Ah,” the creature says. “Nagisa... and so it’s just you.”

“Yeah,” the boy says with another awkward nod. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare any of you-- promise. I just…-- I wanted to make sure that Kayano was really alright before I left. Did you get her tentacles out no problem?”

“Yes,” the creature says, trying his best to sound reassuring. “We did. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Good,” Nagisa replies. “Good.” He pauses. “I… -- I’ll get going then. I just wanted to take care of that first.” He pauses. “We’re all really worried about you, you know,” he continues, shooting a glance towards Akari. “Okuda and Kanzaki and Sugino and I. They’ll be glad to hear that everything’s alright.”

“...Mmm,” Akari replies, sounding surprisingly small. “I know. But, uh- don’t dwell on it, alright? I’m fine.” 

“Yeah,” Nagisa says. “I know. I just wanted to double-check.” He pauses. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to anyone in the class.”

“Mmm,” Akari says. “Yeah. I get it.” She pauses. “You’re right, though. You should probably get going. We’ve got a lot to deal with.”

Nagisa frowns, but nods. “Yeah,” he says. “I figured. I’ll make sure to pass on to everyone that you’re alright. And…-” he hesitates. “None of us think you’re a bad person, for the record. For lying or whatever. So don’t worry about it. You’re still one of us… if you want to be, I mean.” 

Akari’s quiet for a long moment.

“Yeah,” she says. “Of course. Thanks, Nagisa. Have a good night.”

“You too,” Nagisa replies. “Stay safe.”

And with that, he’s gone.

Aguri watches him go. She tries to commit that name-- ‘Nagisa’ to memory. He seems like a nice boy. She seems to remember him being one, too. Real polite, yeah? Maybe a little too quiet?

He seems slightly more confident than the last time she saw him.

She’s not sure how much she can chalk up to her imagination. She’s been away for a very long time, but it’s still a nice thought… even if it’s one she’s fabricating entirely.

She wonders how none of them had managed to see him. He’d been standing there for a while from what she could tell… but she hadn’t picked up on it at  _ all.  _ Until he’d stepped on that twig… well- if he hadn’t, she’s pretty sure she never would have known.

“We should get going as well,” the creature says. “It’s late. You two should be returned to your home.” He stands… glances at Aguri. “Can you stand? Or do you think you need help?”

Aguri glances down towards her abdomen. She tries to stand on her own-- but can’t quite manage it. Her limbs feel heavy... weak, and she can’t make heads or tails of where her legs end and her feet begin. They’re a jumbled mess of flesh and tentacles.

“I’d… like some help, I think,” she says, feeling rather ashamed. “It’s still hard to-”

“No,” the creature interjects. “Don’t feel the need to justify yourself. It’s fine.”

He places his hands under her arms to give her support and lifts her to her feet. “Lean on me,” he says, taking small steps. “You don’t need to worry about holding yourself up. Just follow after.”

Aguri nods. Her head still feels hazy, but having someone there to support her helps. She attempts to stumble forward- and even almost trips… but he catches her, helping her steady herself as he places her back on her feet.

“It’s less like taking steps and more like slithering,” he instructs. “Don’t try to walk. Just drag yourself along. Otherwise you’ll get disoriented.”

Aguri gives another nod. Gulping, she stretches her tentacles and desperately tries to ignore just how foreign the sensation is. She can’t focus on that right now. She’s got to get home. She’s got to walk…-

No, right. Slither.

Tentatively, she drags herself across the ground. It’s more of a scuttle than anything, but she manages to take a step. 

The creature gives her an approving nod. Hand still wrapped carefully around her back as he encourages her to lean on him, he guides her through the underbrush. And despite heavy limbs, unfamiliar and weak… Aguri makes progress. She follows after… watches what he does-- keeps her eyes on  _ his  _ tentacles as they move. And slowly, she thinks she starts to get the hang of it.

(He’s scuttling, too.)

Akari’s giving them a weird look as they walk. Aguri’s pretty sure she’s still bothered by not being able to do more. It breaks her heart. None of this was even Akari’s responsibility in the first place… and besides, Aguri’s just happy to be able to  _ see her again. _

Now that she thinks about it, Akari’s walking weird, too. For a second panic grips her heart-- but when she looks downward and spots a pair of normal legs some of that subsides. Akari’s not…- she hasn’t mutated. She’s just limping. That’s all.

_ (There’s a bandage wrapped tight around her upper thigh.) _

“Were you hurt?” she asks, voice slightly raspy. “You’re limping.”

Akari pauses. Doing a double-take, then resuming her pace, she says “...Ah. I hardly even noticed. Don’t worry about it.” She shakes her head. “I’m fine.”

All the same, Aguri frets over her. She looks so exhausted dragging herself across the ground in her own way. And as Aguri reaches out to place a hand on her shoulder she doesn’t resist. She collapses into her support… leaning on Aguri as she limps.

Aguri holds her carefully... makes sure she doesn’t fall. The creature is supporting them both now, really. But he doesn’t complain. Instead, simply giving them a sympathetic look, he keeps plodding along.

“Thank you for carrying me,” she says. “I really needed that right now, Mister R...-” She peters off, heart sinking. “I mean, whatever you go by. I’d feel weird addressing you by-- I’m just not sure I can say that right now.” She pauses. “...I hope that’s okay. Though now that I think about it, it’s probably not. I’m sorry. You should just ignore me.”

“No,” the creature says. “It’s okay. You can call me Korosensei. That’s my name, now, anyways. Kayano gave it to me.”

Aguri feels bad. If he really is Reaper, she’s probably hurting his feelings a  _ lot  _ right now. But she’s not…-  _ it’s not like she’s hesitant to address him like that because he’s… changed or anything.  _ It’s just that… she thought that he was dead. And if it turns out he is, then… 

She doesn’t want to get her hopes up.

“Korosensei,” she says. “...That’s a nice name.”

“Indeed,” Korosensei agrees. “Clever, isn’t it?”

Aguri murmurs in agreement. And then, maybe wanting to distract herself more than anything, she asks “And so what’s with ‘Kayano?’ That’s another name for Akari, right? Why are you all calling her that?"

“It’s… a long story,” Korosensei admits. “One that I’m not even sure I have all the details to myself. But as I said, we’ll explain in the morning. As least as long as Akari is willing to cooperate.”

“Yeah,” Akari says, voice quiet. “I will.” She pauses. “...I still don’t really trust you, but ‘sis deserves to know what’s going on.”

“That’s all I could ask,” Korosensei responds, giving a sad smile. “I can’t wait to hear it.”

There’s this sense of friction between the two of them. Even practically leaning on each other, they’re tense. Akari, especially, has got her shoulders up. There’s this weird, uncomfortable look on her face, and she avoids looking Korosensei’s way. It makes Aguri sad.

She wonders why. It’s… not like they have any reason to hate each other, do they? Then again, they keep saying she’s missed a lot. So _ something _ probably happened while she was gone.

...She wonders how long it’s been. Some part of her is tempted to ask, but she’s not sure she’ll like the answer she receives.

It’s clear quite some time has passed from their appearances alone. Akari’s taller now… and she’s got her hair up in a different style. Donning pigtails and having dyed it a bright green, it’s a pretty different vibe. All the same, however, she’s instantly recognizable. Aguri can’t quite say the same for ‘Korosensei.’

He doesn’t resemble Reaper at  _ all.  _ With a huge bulbous head and bright yellow skin, he’s quite the sight to see. He’s got somewhere between eight and ten tentacles for legs, and another pair of tentacles for arms. His eyes are beady… a pure white, and he’s got an unfaltering grin on his face. Despite his odd appearance, however… he’s not very frightening at all. If anything, he’s oddly approachable. He’s squishy to the touch… and a goofy, oversized graduation cap dangles from off of his head. 

...He’s got a neatly pressed tie tucked into his shirt.

Aguri stares at it for a long moment... feeling like something should click, almost. But when nothing comes to mind she shakes her head and sighs. No, it’s just her imagination, she’s pretty sure. The tie’s not important.

(Right?)

Either way, it’s safe to say that the world’s moved on without her. Even the  _ students  _ looked unrecognizable. At least… she’s pretty sure. Now that she thinks about it she guesses she doesn’t really have any proof. For all she knows they’d always looked that mature… she’d just managed to forget it in her self-centeredness. Whatever. It’s not worth dwelling on, anyways.

It just makes her sad... thinking that everything continued to pass by without her. She guesses Yanagisawa was really right about that, then. They didn’t need her like she thought they did.

‘No,’ she thinks. ‘Don’t… focus on it. That doesn’t matter right now.’

All that matters is that she’s out of there. And even if she feels a little lost… doesn’t really know what she’s going to do now, at least she’s not  _ suffering.  _ She knows she’ll probably go back eventually… Yanagisawa has too many connections to count. But she’s not yet. And that in and of itself is a miracle. 

She's thankful to be heading home. Thankful to get to cradle her sister again. Thankful to lean on this familiar stranger’s side... and thankful that she can look up at the crescent moon above, even if only for one last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know... I'm not sure whether I should say that this chapter is actually less intense than the last one or if it's just intense in a different way. Either way... HOO BOY: THANK GOD: AGURI AND HER LOVED ONES FINALLY REUNITED. Even if it's not under... the best circumstances.
> 
> Of course I made sure to have Koro heal the hurt kids up. It's probably not as refined as when he fixed Kayano up at the end of the original series seeing as how he's had less time to practice... but they'll be fine. I didn't want to permanently maim them or anything. I just wanted to make the situation feel rightfully as dangerous as it actually was.
> 
> The poor dude feels SO guilty about all of this. But it turns out... no-one is actually mad at him. They're mad at AKARI. Wuh-woah. He managed to calm them down for now, but trust me when I say that this WILL be coming up again in the future. They just have more important things to focus on right now.
> 
> Namely... Aguri. Who's having a complete dissociative episode because DUH. I had fun writing her kind of desperately trying to take all of this in. And I had even more fun writing her refusing to believe Korosensei. He managed to ground her for now, but something tells me it'll be a LONG time before she processes this as anything permanent. 
> 
> Akari came VERY close to not getting her tentacles off. I really think she would have stood by keeping them if it hadn't been for Aguri. She still has a lot of complicated feelings towards Korosensei, after all... and feels the need to 'take him down.' Kind of fucked! Thankfully, though... her sister came through.
> 
> As did... um-- a lot of other people for her, actually. I HAD to write Nagisa checking in on her. I wanted to emphasize that the poor girl still had friends despite what happened... and I really care about the bond between those two. It's one of the first signs for her that regardless of her actual situation she's cared about... and that'll mean a lot to her in the future.
> 
> This chapter kind of ended on an 'optimistic' note, but trust me when I say that things won't be easy street for Aguri from now on. She's still got a LOT of healing to do... and even if she's managing to just barely look on the bright side for now she feels pretty empty inside.
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were So Big/So Small from Dear Evan Hansen, How To Return Home from The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown, Burning Pile by Mother Mother, and Safe And Sound by Taylor Swift.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will be up in a week because I really like to treat you guys. Make sure to let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon! o/
> 
> -songs!
> 
> -update schedule and see yall next week


	9. Back Home Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a character attempting to kiss another character w/o any forewarning or indication that it's alright. They stop as soon as they realize it's not reciprocated, but that's... probably worth noting.

Akari collapses pretty much the moment they get home.

She’s exhausted the whole way there. And although she talks a bit at first… still glancing Aguri’s way, by the time they’ve arrived she’s completely tuckered out. She hands Korosensei the key, allows him to undo the latch, takes one step inside, flicks on the lights, and then  _ immediately  _ falls limp. 

Aguri darts to catch her-- noting just how heavy she feels in her arms. Korosensei’s quick to back her up. Guiding Akari over to the couch, he plops her down gently and places a hand on her forehead. He looks concerned for just a split second, but quickly shakes it off, turning back to look Aguri’s way.

“Is she…- is something wrong?” She asks, voice meek.

“I don’t believe so,” Korosensei reassures. “She’s likely just exhausted after that expedition. All the same, I’ll make sure to double-check. She’s been through quite a lot tonight.”

He presses a finger to her neck… stands there for a moment. Then, nodding, he says “Her pulse is normal. And she’s not unconscious, either. Listen carefully.”

Aguri steps forward, silent as instructed. And as she joins Korosensei by Akari’s side she makes out a faint snoring… watches Akari’s chest rise and fall.

“Ah,” she says, relieved. “And so she’s just sleeping.”

“Indeed,” Korosensei replies. “She had a very long day.” He pauses. “Stay here with her for just one second, will you? I’m going to grab an ice pack and some bandages. Her temperature’s still a little up, and I’d like to get a second look at her wound.”

Aguri opens her mouth to speak- perhaps interject that she’d know where they keep things around the house better than he would, but she doesn’t get the chance. He’s already off. Gone in a blur, he disappears into the kitchen.

She jolts-- shocked. She didn't realize he was capable of doing that. Nevertheless, she doesn't dwell on it long. And she doesn't dwell on the idea of her looking for things long, either. Not when she remembers that she probably doesn't remember where everything is as much as she thinks she does, anyways.

Korosensei’s back in just a few seconds. Bandages, disinfectant, and an ice pack in hand, he crouches down to Akari’s level and carefully undresses her wound. He stares at it for a long moment, uncertain.

Aguri frowns. She’d known Akari was hurt, but getting an actual look at it it looks pretty bad. It goes straight through the leg. Red and raw, she can make out the other side of the couch.

“Don’t worry,” Korosensei says. “I’m aware of how it looks, but I believe it’s not as serious as it seems. Thankfully the projectile missed any major arteries. As long as we keep it disinfected and clean, things should be fine.”

Aguri’s hardly sure about that, but she supposes that he’s the expert here. She just hopes that that’s not hurting Akari. She doesn’t know what she’d do if she was suffering.

_ (‘Something… about the wound seems familiar,’  _ she thinks, but quickly shakes the thought. Ah… there’s no time to dwell on it right now. It’s too hard to focus. She can worry about… w- whatever caused this later. All that matters now is that Akari is home and safe.)

“That’s good,” she says, quietly. 

“Mmhmm,” Korosensei replies, working away at the injury. Akari flinches slightly as he dabs at it with disinfectant, but doesn’t wake. Instead, whimpering in her sleep, she turns over and tugs away.

“I know. It hurts,” Korosensei coos. “...But it’s for your own good. I promise.”

In no time at all, he’s finished. Content with his work, he redresses Akari’s bandages and rolls her back over.

“There,” he says. “That wasn’t so bad, was it? Now just take this.”

Carefully, he places the ice pack on her forehead.

“The most important thing right now is making sure she maintains a consistent temperature,” he explains. “I believe that her injury isn’t serious, but the tentacles are another story. We’ve got to make sure that she stays cool. They took a lot of important energy out of her… and if we’re not careful she could suffer from heat stroke.”

“Heatstroke?” Aguri repeats, slightly panicked.

_ “It’s not likely,” _ Korosensei reassures. “But she really, really pushed herself. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Aguri reaches out to place a hand on Akari’s forehead. True to Korosensei’s word, she’s warm to the touch. She doesn’t think she’s as hot as when they first reunited, but it’s still definitely of note. She wouldn’t want anything to happen, either.

“Should I get some water?” She asks.

“I was just about to say that, actually,” Korosensei replies. “Can you do that? I’m going to run to the store and grab some Mafenide Acetate.”

He must notice the way Aguri tenses, because he says “Do not worry. It shouldn’t take long. I don’t intend to leave the two of you alone right now. I’ll be gone for fifteen seconds at most.”

“Oh,” Aguri says. “...Alright, then. If you-- if you swear it’ll be quick.”

She feels selfish saying that, especially with Akari suffering right now… but she  _ really  _ doesn’t want to be alone. If… if this person were to disappear, then  _ who  _ knows what Yanagisawa would do to her when he comes back for her.

“I will be,” he reassures. “Promise. You just grab that water in the meantime. Slither: like I taught you. I’ll be back momentarily.” 

And with that… he’s gone. Yet again, he  _ zooms  _ towards the door. Aguri stares, awestruck, for a moment, but quickly reminds herself that she has something to do. And stumbling to her feet, she makes her way towards the kitchen.

She manages to make it maybe halfway there before the door swings open. She whips around, shoulders tense, only to see Korosensei, pharmacy bag in hand.

“Don’t mind me,” he says. “I’ll apply this. You just focus on you.” He pauses. “And let me know if you need any help, alright? I’ll be over in a jiffy.”

Nodding, Aguri resumes her stumble. She just about trips, but reminds herself to do what Korosensei instructed… drag herself along. She… she doesn’t have to be fast.

(At least. She hopes not. Akari’s… Akari’s not depending on her, is she?)

Trying her best to stay calm, she makes her way into the kitchen and looks around. Things are different from how she last saw them. The room’s surprisingly messy, and it looks like only a single seat has been touched in months. The chair at the head of the table stands alone. It hasn't been pulled out in ages.

(That's--)

_ “Dad's,”  _ she says, slightly panicked. _ “Wait.  _ Is Dad here? It doesn’t seem like--”

“He left, apparently,” Korosensei says from the other room. “At least… that’s what your sister told me. Something about being too distraught after you passed. That said, however, I didn’t get the impression that he was harmed. He simply did not want to continue to live here.”

And so… Akari’s been living here alone, huh? That would explain the dismal atmosphere. Aguri feels her gut twist, shuffling past untouched seats and discarded shopping bags as she makes her way over to the cabinet.

(...There’s something Akari drew when she was three or four pinned to the fridge.)

It takes a few tries just to get it open. Aguri’s hands feel weird, and it’s hard to get a grip on the handle. One of her hands doesn’t really have fingers anymore-- but rather two misshapen, elongated graspers. And although the other: her left, is a bit better… it’s not her dominant hand, and it’s not like it’s in a completely normal state, either. Her fingers have stretched into uneven, twitching, and sickly looking tentacles. And despite her best efforts, they feel too weak to really get much done. She has to depend on the right hand to wretch the cabinet open- trying desperately to ignore the throbbing of her veins as she does.

She scans the cabinet and decides on a small glass cup… reaches out to grab it and hesitates. Wondering, really, if she can carry something like that, she glances back down at her hands. Maybe she should ask Korosensei for help.

...No.

Korosensei is doing something important right now. He’s taking care of Akari. If she can’t even do  _ this  _ on her own then she’d  _ really  _ have to be pathetic. She’ll stop whining and take care of it. She wouldn’t want to be a burden, after all.

She doesn’t even get a chance to shut the cabinet.

The minute she’s removed the cup from it, it slips from her grasp. She scrambles-- trying to catch it in time, but it simply slips from her grasp a second time and bounces back onto the counter. There, it shatters.

The noise rings out through the house. And heart racing, Aguri freezes. Eyes wide… hands shaking, she takes a step back-- and all at once, she hears a horrible whooshing sound heading her way. She covers her head with her hands, ducks, and lets out an apologetic scream.

_ “I-I’m sorry!”  _ She yelps.  **_“I didn’t mean to!”_ **

There’s a long moment of silence. But as no pain surges through Aguri’s body… cautiously, she peeks open an eye. There, she sees Korosensei standing next to her, staring at her with a pitying gaze.

She’d… really thought he was going to strike her, hadn’t she?  _ ‘What a cruel assumption,’ _ she thinks. Of… of course he hadn’t. And yet it had just come as such a natural reaction. She hadn’t even needed to think it through.

“I’m… sorry,” she says again, this time for a different reason. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s okay,” Korosensei says. “Don’t sweat it.” He pauses… crouching. “Now then, let me help you clean that up. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

Aguri’s gut twists. She feels terrible. This… this person has been nothing but nice to her since she met him, and she’s acting like he’s going to hit her? What’s  **_wrong_ ** with her!? She  _ really _ deserves to be hit at that rate.

Of course, she doesn’t say any of that. She simply stares awkwardly as Korosensei gets to work cleaning up her mess. She reaches a hand out to help, but he stops her halfway.

“Don’t push yourself,” he says. “I’ll take care of this. I’m sorry for putting any of this on you in the first place.” He sighs. “I should have just let you rest. Go in there with Akari, will you? I’ll get her some water. You just try and relax.”

Aguri’s lip wavers. She wishes there was more she should do. But not wanting to burden him any more than she already has, she stumbles to her feet and does as told.

“I’ll be right back over there,” Korosensei reassures. “Just give me one moment, alright?”

Aguri nods. Dragging one heavy tentacle after the other, she makes her way into the living room. It’s funny… his voice is patient- understanding, but somehow that just makes her feel all the more ashamed. This person is walking on eggshells around her, isn’t he?

She remembers, briefly, who he said he was. And at the thought, her heart only twists more. Reaper seeing her like that... the idea makes her sick. She’s really degraded a lot since he last saw her, huh?

(He’s got to be disappointed.)

Trying her best not to cry then and there, she arrives at the couch and places herself down next to Akari. Thankfully, the girl’s still sleeping. At least Aguri has  _ that  _ going for her. She doesn’t know what she’d do if her screwup woke Akari up on top of all of that.

It’s maybe a minute or two before Korosensei returns. It feels like an eternity compared to how long it took him to get the burn ointment. 

“That was a while,” Aguri says, concerned. “Did anything else break?”

“No,” Korosensei reassures, glass in hand. “I got everything cleaned up. I just realized that perhaps I shouldn’t be using my supersonic speed around you.”

“Supersonic… speed?” Aguri repeats.

“An effect of my tentacles,” Korosensei explains. “Something you’ve got, too. You utilized it earlier when you were attempting to get away from me and the class.” He pauses. “Usually it’s quite useful, but it dawned on me that it may be a little frightening right now to subject you to something like that while you’re still all sorts of confused.”

...Ah. And so that’s what he’s been doing: how he’s been moving so fast. Aguri’s still not really sure if she understands it entirely, but it’s more context than before.

“You don’t have to do that for me,” she murmurs. “I’d… I’d hate to rob you of-”

“No,” Korosensei interjects. “It’s nothing. I promise. As long as you’d like, I’m willing to stop.” By now he’s made his way over to the two of them. He crouches down by Aguri’s side… lifts the glass to Akari’s lips.  _ “Would  _ you like me to stop?”

Aguri hesitates.

“...Maybe a little,” she finally admits. “It’s… uh-- when you’re moving that fast it’s hard to tell what you’re going to do.” She’s quiet for a long moment. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Korosensei reassures, tipping the glass back. Carefully, he trickles water into Akari’s mouth. She lets out a frustrated, sleepy groan.

“Yeah, yeah.... I know,” he murmurs. “You just want to sleep. But drink a little for me, alright?”

It’s subtle, but some of the color seems to return to Akari’s face. Aguri knows she should be relieved… but another part of her feels guilty. Why is it that Korosensei’s doing this… not her?

“Sorry I couldn’t… I couldn’t grab that, either,” she says. “It should have been simple, but-“

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Korosensei says. “You’re still adapting. It was foolish of me to push that on you in the first place.” He pauses. “Do not worry about what you still cannot do. I’ll take care of it. And I promise… it will get easier with time.”

Aguri shifts, slightly.

_ ‘With time.’  _ What a notion. She sincerely doubts she’ll get even that. Yanagisawa will be back for her… he’ll return her to that place. And when he does, he’ll make her pay for her insolence. There’s no doubt in her mind of that.

And besides. Even if he  _ weren’t  _ going to by some god-forsaken miracle is this even really much better? Existing like  **_this_ ** forever? Korosensei says it gets better, but he isn’t- he wasn’t…- he didn’t start out as someone like  _ her. _

(Someone who was already so useless before)

Aguri doesn't share her dark thoughts. She’d hate to bring down the mood… and Korosensei has more important things to focus on than her issues right now.

Slowly but surely, he manages to get Akari hydrated. He readjusts her ice pack and applies some burn ointment to the back of her neck.

She lets out another uncomfortable murmur, but doesn’t stir. Still snoring, she curls in on herself.

“She’s… really sleeping through all of this, huh?” Aguri asks.

“Indeed,” Korosensei replies. “The tentacles exhausted her. She worked herself incredibly hard. She may be out of it for the next few days.”

He must notice the look of concern that crosses Aguri’s face, because he says “That said, however… it should pass. Do not worry. No permanent harm should come to her. I’ll make sure of it.”

Slowly, he rises to his feet.

“We should be getting her to bed. She’s had a long day. Let’s tuck her in… then we can worry about getting  _ you  _ settled.”

Aguri’s not exactly comfortable with the attention being redirected to her, but she nods. She stumbles to her feet and waits for his next instruction.

Carefully, Korosensei scoops Akari into his arms. He removes her ice pack and places it in his pocket, promising he’ll return it soon. Then, turning to Aguri, he says “Do you need a hand? I wouldn’t want to put her to bed without you.”

“I… think I’ll be fine,” Aguri says, voice weary. “Don’t worry about me. I'll follow after.”

Korosensei hesitates- perhaps not wanting to humiliate her, but soon does as told. Taking the lead, he makes his way into the hall and starts to head upstairs.

“Is this the right way?” He asks. 

“Yeah,” Aguri says. “I… think it’s not far from here. Up and then… little to the right, maybe?”

It’s hard to remember. She hasn’t lived here in a very long time. She wracks her mind… desperately trying to make sense of it. Dad’s bedroom is at the end of the hall, right? And then Aguri sleeps downstairs. That would mean…-

“Yeah,” she says. “Two doors to the right. It’s the bathroom, and then Akari’s bedroom.”

It used to be hers. But when Akari was born she wanted her sister to have the bigger room and ended up moving to the bedroom downstairs. Now that had ended up backfiring… since 90% of the time a young Akari wanted to sleep in her room, anyways.

Korosensei creaks open the door. Peeking his head in, he flicks on the light and then motions for Aguri to follow.

...Akari’s room is a mess. Sheets undone and window shades snapped shut, it’s a shrine to her isolation. Various papers litter the floor, although a surprisingly organized stack sits on her desk. Aguri only takes a glance, but they seem to detail her experience with the tentacles. D.I.Y research notes; written in increasingly messy handwriting.

**_‘It hurts,’_ ** they say. **_‘It hurts so much. But it’ll be all worth it in the end. I’ll make him pay.’_ **

Aguri looks away. Decidedly uncomfortable, her gaze drifts to a framed photograph lying on the bedside table.

It’s of her and Akari, maybe just a few years back. They’re watching a movie or some other equally as inconsequential thing… and Aguri had stuck her arm out, pausing to take a pic. Akari had complained at the time- saying it really wasn’t necessary, but Aguri had reminded her that it was important to make memories.

She stares at it for a long moment.

...Both of them are smiling. 

She tears her gaze away, turning to Korosensei as he slides Akari into bed. He’s careful not to tuck her in: mindful of her body temperature. Instead, he simply straightens out her bedsheets and places the ice pack back on her head.

She looks so peaceful, lying there. For just a moment, despite the bags etched in under her eyes, she rests… and it comes as a relief to Aguri. Now  _ that’s  _ the sister she knows.

She’s changed so much since she last saw her. She can’t believe she dyed her hair… grew a few inches… enrolled in her class. Akari outright  _ attacked a man for her.  _ It’s as if an eternity has passed. But then again, Aguri supposes she can’t really comment.

...She’s changed, too, after all.

Regardless, she’s careful to memorize how Akari looks lying there. It’s been a long time since she’s seen anything like this… and she doesn’t want to forget again.

Satisfied with his work, Korosensei turns back to face the door. “I’ll continue to check in with her throughout the night just in case… but I have a feeling she’ll sleep through.”

“Mm…” Aguri says. And yet… she hesitates. She feels like there’s still something that she needs to do.

“Wait,” she says. “Can we have a moment alone? I’d just like to talk to her.”

“Of course,” Korosensei says. “I’ll wait right outside. You two take all of the time that you need.”

And with that, he leaves the two of them alone.

Slowly… Aguri lowers herself to the ground. Kneeling on the carpeted floor, she reaches out to place a hand on Akari’s forehead and runs her ‘fingers’ through her hair. She feels a little gross… like she shouldn’t be touching Akari at all in the condition she’s in, but she has to make sure it’s real just one last time.

She’s still warm to the touch, but looking miles better than she did earlier in the evening. Letting out a muffled snore… she shifts, slightly, and frowns in her sleep.

“Hey,” Aguri says, voice quiet. “I hope I’m not waking you up. I just wanted to say a few things before I left. I missed you a lot, you know.” 

She frowns.

“I’m sorry I was gone for so long. I’m sorry I’ll probably be gone again soon. But it was nice to see you while I still could. You’ve come a long way since I’ve seen you last. I was lucky to get that opportunity.” She pauses. “...I’m really proud of you. And I hope we’ll be able to talk at least one more time before this is all over.”

She knows that’s not likely… but it’s nice to think about. And saying it aloud makes her feel a bit better, at the very least.

Briefly, she considers undoing Akari’s hair ties. She looks so uncomfortable lying there in bed with her pigtails still up. But she soon decides better of it. She remembers dropping the glass earlier. It’s not like she’s got much control of her body. She’d hate to pull Akari’s hair.

Instead, she settles for giving Akari one last pat on the forehead. She says “I love you,” and “I’ll see you in the morning, alright?” before stumbling to her feet and just about collapsing onto the bed. She catches herself… breathing heavy, and thankful to not have disturbed Akari.

“Goodnight,” she says, if only for clarity’s sake. “And thank you. For everything.”

As she turns to leave, there’s this song in her head... this silly little thing she sang to Akari back when she was a baby. It always helped get her to sleep. Aguri’s not sure why she thinks of it now… Akari’s already fast asleep, after all. But all the same, she hums it as she reaches out to take the door and flick out the light.

_ ‘A canary sings _

_ A cradle song _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child. _

_ Above the cradle, _

_ The loquat fruits sway _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child. _

_ A squirrel rocks _

_ The cradle by its rope _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child. _

_ Dreams in a cradle, _

_ With the yellow moon shining down _

_ Sleep, sleep, _

_ Sleep, child.’ _

And she hopes that Akari will be able to lay as peacefully as she is now still in the morning.

Korosensei is waiting for her outside. That same patient smile on his face, he cocks his head and says “We should probably be getting you to your room, too. You need lots of rest.”

He reaches out a hand for a moment, but Aguri hesitates. When she doesn’t move, he unfurls a smaller tentacle from his sleeve… places it on her shoulder, and says “I’ll help you get there, alright? Do not worry. Just tell me where, and I’ll lead the way.”

...Getting there isn’t really the main issue. Still, Aguri does as told… taking Korosensei’s tentacle with one hand, and pointing down the hall with the other.

“It’s back downstairs,” she says. “Just past the kitchen.”

Korosensei nods… guiding her down the hall. He stops as they reach the stairs-- tells her to lean on him.

“Going down may be slightly harder than going up.”

Carefully, he helps her slide down. He makes sure she doesn’t fall-- that she touches down safely at the landing on the other side of the steps. And when they’ve finally arrived, he releases his touch on her shoulders, asking her if she feels alright.

“Yeah,” she says, only-half lying. “That was fine.”

Quite frankly, she hadn’t even really processed it. She’d been too focused on the feel of his hands around her back to even think about making her way down the stairs. She’d just blinked… taken a deep breath, and then arrived.

She clings tight to his tentacle as he makes his way into the kitchen, and subsequently down the hall.

There, he cracks open her door… peeks his head inside. Then, pulling it back, he asks “Is this the place?”

Aguri stares inside. Sure enough, she recognizes it, and yet... the doorway seems forbidding. Looming over her, the darkness peeks out from inside and clutches at her heart. It feels so long since she’s seen this place… and the shadows of her bed- her mirror-- they make monsters… reminding her just how much she’s lost.

She doesn’t end up answering Korosensei’s question.

Instead, grip tightening around his tentacle, she asks... voice quiet:

_ “Can you stay?” _

Korosensei blinks.

“Pardon?”

“I… don’t want to be alone right now,” Aguri clarifies. “I’m scared that-- I’m scared that Yanagisawa will come back for me. And I know that’s selfish-- I don’t want you to put yourself at risk either… but I don’t know how to--  _ I’m just not ready to go back to that place right now.  _ Can you stay with me, please? Even if it’s a lot to ask?”

Her voice wavers. She feels ashamed even saying it-- but she can’t just  **_not._ ** The fear is so petrifying it locks up every limb in her body. She thinks about being alone right now and she wants to  _ wretch. _

It’s narcissistic to ask for... his life is  _ far  _ more important than her not being  **_lonely…_ ** but all the same--

She at least hopes this erases any pretenses that she doesn’t like this person. That she doesn’t trust him or believe in what he’s saying. She’s still not sure if she believes that  _ one  _ thing he said, but… she trusts him as a whole. She’s thankful that he's here… and she wants to stay around him as long as she possibly can.

(He has an indescribably  _ warm _ presence. )

“First of all,” he says, surprisingly gently. “That is not selfish to ask of me. I’d be happy to stay here with you. Especially considering that second of all, that was the plan from the start.” He pauses. “I did not want to risk anyone re-capturing you. I planned to hang around the home, at least for a little bit. Would you like me to stay in there with you tonight?”

“That… would be nice,” Aguri says, giving a meek nod. And some tension seems to release. She feels a lot better now that she knows he’s not going anywhere.

He squeezes her hand slightly, then leads the way inside. He flicks on the light, and slowly, the two of them take a look around.

It hasn’t been touched in months. She moved in with Yanagisawa well over a year ago. She can tell that Dad and Akari tried to take care of it… but a fine layer of dust coats the room, and her nose wrinkles as she steps inside. 

Thankfully, most of her stuff still seems to be there, at least. Yanagisawa hadn’t wanted her to take anything ‘stupid’ or ‘embarrassing’ along when she moved in. She’d felt really hurt by it at the time-- desperately tried to convince him otherwise… but in hindsight, it’s actually pretty nice. After all, anything she’s left at his place is as good as gone by now.

Her bed’s neatly folded across the room… but Aguri doesn’t rush to it, and Korosensei allows her to take her time. She peers around in the dim light… soaks in the familiar scent, and tries, quietly, to process just how long it’s been since she’d last been here.

It almost feels like an unfamiliar location entirely: a relic of a bygone era. But as she shuts her eyes… breathes in through her nose, she knows she recognizes the feeling.

Slowly… she starts to drag herself across the ground. Still clinging tight to Korosensei’s tentacle, she maneuvers herself across the room… and stops--  _ pauses  _ \-- halfway to bed.

There, on the armoire, rests a mirror. She stares into it for a long moment… finally processing what sort of state she’s in for the first time since she’d stepped foot out of that lab.

Even through a fine layer of dust, it’s easy to tell that things are bad. Her skin’s grown gray- colorless… and her eyes glow in the dim light. A bright golden with pitch-black sclera, their gaze is piercing... and she shudders, slightly at the sight of them. 

Her face as a whole isn’t much better. Raised, slightly reddish veins peek up from her cheeks… and larger, inflamed looking veins mar her chest and neck. Her hair falls over her shoulders- no longer actually hair, but rather thick… sickly looking tentacles. They twitch as she stares at them… writhe in an unnatural manner.

They cover her. It’s not just her face and throat. A tentacle rises from her shoulder, reconnecting with her inner arm. Her hands are mutilated. Her feet are long since gone. Every part of her has been consumed - replaced with some facsimile- some sick mockery of the human form.

Bile rising in her throat… shame surfacing in her gut, she tries to tear her gaze away, but is unable. Instead, letting every aspect of it sink in, she feels just as helpless as before.

Yes. That’s it. Not scared. Helpless. She’s known this was coming for a very long time… known she was turning into something horrible. But all the same… seeing it with her own two eyes…--

(Rope-like, split-ended arms. Twisted, stringy-textured skin. Bubbling flesh and spasming veins… legs that she can’t even make out.)

Oh god. Yanagisawa was  **_right._ **

It’s a long moment before Korosensei reaches out for her. But when he does, placing a hand on her shoulder, his voice is melancholy.

“You should probably stop looking,” he says, trying to nudge her away.

And Aguri wants to… she really does. She  _ wants  _ to listen to that kind advice. But there’s just one more thing that’s bothering her…-- one more thing she has to look at before she goes.

...Her gaze drifts down to her stomach.

And, there, rests the worst of it all. A massive wound sits where she was maimed all those months ago… still every bit as repulsive as it was back then. Held together, barely, by tentacles, the injury throbs and pulsates… an almost tumor-like texture around it. A reminder, clearly… of the mistakes that she made, and of the fact that she shouldn't be here right now at all.

Korosensei’s gaze must drift to it too, because he pauses. She sees his expression twist in the mirror. And yet she’s aware that this must not be his first time seeing it. She’s outgrown her patients’ gowns far enough for it to be clearly visible. He’s been looking at it all this time.

“...Ah,” he says. “You’re right. We should probably get you out of those scrubs and into something more fitting. You don’t deserve to live like a lab rat.”

Instantly, he’s started to dig through her drawers. But before he can get far Aguri reaches a hand out, reminding him that that won’t exactly work.

“I… probably won’t fit in any of my old clothes,” she says, glancing at one elongated, misshapen arm. “Don’t go wasting your time. I’ll be fine.”

Admittedly… yeah, she feels a little bad staying in the patients’ gowns, and even worse staying with her wound on full display, but she’s already wasted enough of Korosensei’s time. She’d hate to ask him for this on top of all of that.

He reaches out to grab a shirt anyways… holding it up to compare it to her, but must come to the same conclusion, because he soon tucks it away with a sigh.

“Ah,” he says. “I suppose that would be an issue, yes. Still… I feel bad seeing you in such a state.” He pauses, thinking for a long second. Then, he reaches up to remove his cloak from his shoulders.

At first Aguri hardly even processes what he’s doing. But as he holds it out towards her, that still-kind expression on his face, it clicks.

“Take this, at least,” he says. “It’s not much… but it’s far better than nothing.”

Aguri stares. Blinking hesitantly, she says, “Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Korosensei replies. “I’ve still got a perfectly good shirt and tie. You take this for the night. You clearly need it more than I do.”

Eyes watering, Aguri nods and takes the cloak. Some part of her still feels a little ashamed, but she’d hate to refute his kindness. And besides… something feels comforting as she slides it on over her shoulders. A feeling she can’t quite place: A familiar smell.

He doesn’t give her much more time to look at the mirror. The minute she’s got the cloak on he guides her on over to bed. He says “It’s about time you get some rest. Worry about all that stressful stuff in the morning, alright? For now, just try and sleep.” 

Nodding, she slides into bed. It takes some effort, and he has to help her heave herself up, but eventually, they get the job done.

...He doesn’t lie down next to her.

“Hey,” she says. “It’s okay. You can sleep too. Feel free to lie down.” She pauses. “If you’d like, I mean.”

It’s meant as an offer, but it ends up sounding more like a plea.

Korosensei hesitates, but soon flicks off the light and subsequently slides himself in bed next to her. It’s clear there’s a sense of awkwardness to it- shame, almost… but he simply doesn’t have the heart to turn her down.

“I’d like that very much,” he says, bed creaking as he makes himself at home.

...He radiates warmth.

It’s been a long time since she’s laid down next to anyone like this. She savors the feeling. Even if he’s practically a stranger, it feels good just to hold someone close. Not that she actually holds him, of course. Some part of her wants to cling to him-- pull herself into his form and bury her face in his neck, but even  _ she _ knows better than to do that.

And besides, she’s content just having company at all.

Shifting, slightly, he tells her that she can sleep easy. “I’ll make sure to stay here all night… ensure that nothing happens to you or your sister. And so please don’t worry about keeping your guard up, alright? I’ll do the protecting.”

Aguri gives a nod. She hardly believes it… it’s not easy to just let your guard down after something like that, but it’s the thought that counts. And even with her heart racing, she feels  _ slightly  _ safer with this person around.

“I’ll… try my best,” she says. “And thank you again. For coming back for me, I mean.”

“Of course,” Korosensei replies. “I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” 

He pauses for a long moment.

“Goodnight, Yukimura. I hope you rest well.”

Aguri opens her mouth to speak, some words still weighing on her tongue… but nothing seems to come out. And so instead she simply shuts her eyes and murmurs back “Goodnight.”

She lays there… eyes closed, for what feels like forever. But try as she might to soothe her thoughts, sleep doesn’t creep up on her. The darkness unsettles her- and when she closes her eyes she sees nothingness. It reminds her of her days back at the lab… her inevitable fate.

It’s the sort of thing that makes her feel ridiculous. Korosensei wants her to sleep and so she just should. She doesn’t want to annoy him, right? But… it’s hard. How is she just supposed to sleep and pretend that nothing happened after all of that? He’s telling her that she needs rest-- and the truth is she probably does… but there are a hundred-thousand things she still wants to say.

It’s maybe five minutes that she manages to lay there. But as the unease becomes unbearable, she speaks up in a quiet voice.

“Can we… talk about one more thing, actually? Before I sleep?”

It’s a moment before Korosensei replies, but when he does it’s in a patient tone.

“Of course,” he says. “What is it?”

“Well…-” Aguri pauses, mouth dry. “Are you sure, actually? If- if you’re tired I’d hate to keep you up.”

“I do not intend to sleep in the first place,” Korosensei replies. “And so please don’t worry about disturbing me. The only person I’m concerned about getting ample rest is you. If there’s anything you feel the need to get off your chest first, then please do so.”

Aguri blinks. Quite frankly… she didn’t expect to get this far. There’s definitely  _ something  _ weighing on her chest… far too much to even vocalize, but where is she even supposed to  _ start? _

“Is it… normal?” She asks. “To feel like it’s not real? Being out of that place, or whatever?”

Korosensei’s quiet. Repositioning himself, slightly, he asks “Pardon?”

“You were there, too. Right? You’re like me.”

_ ‘That’s how we met,’  _ she thinks, but won’t dare believe it.

“You were also experimented on. Is it… normal for it to not feel real for a bit? Feel like…- like you’re just dreaming? Or that it’s just temporary? That he’s going to come back for you?”

“Well…-” Korosensei drifts off. “I can’t say I particularly experienced the same thing, but…” he pauses. “That could also be a result of how many mistakes I made in breaking out. In many ways… my life would have been better if that was all just a dream.” He shakes his head. “That said, however. I don’t think there’s anything abnormal about what you’re experiencing. You’re still processing that you’re no longer in that situation. But I promise you that this is real… and I promise that he will not be coming back for you. I’ll tell you that as many times as you need to hear.”

“Mmm,” Aguri replies, feeling her gut twist, slightly. The puncture in her abdomen pulsates again and again. She feels bad for bringing up bad memories.

Some part of her is tempted to shut up and just go to sleep based on that alone. But she only manages to stay silent for maybe thirty seconds.

“Did he… ever come back for you?” She asks. “Try to take you back to that place?”

“Come back for me?” Korosensei asks. “No. He never came back for me.”

He pauses.

“Well… I have seen him a fair bit since then, but he never tried to return me to that laboratory. He was far more focused on trying to lay a hand on me… something which I  _ promise  _ I will not allow him to do to you.” 

“Yeah,” Aguri says, voice empty. “I know.” She drifts off. “I guess it’s just…  _ it’s scary,  _ you know? It was really bad in there.”

‘Lay a hand on him,’ Korosensei says… and in some way Aguri is almost relieved. He sugarcoats it, but she knows what that means. She heard Yanagisawa say it himself: he was trying to  **_kill_ ** Korosensei. And she can only hope that he’ll do the same for her. She’d rather die-- be put down like a  _ monster  _ than ever have to face going back to that place.

“It was… it was so painful,” she continues. “Sometimes I--” But she cuts herself off. “Well, I probably shouldn’t talk about it, actually. It’s… a lot.”

She feels ashamed. As desperate as she is to process the situation, she will  **_not_ ** put that on Korosensei. She doesn’t want anyone to know just how bad she was doing in there.

(She stares down at her hands, backlit by the flickering nightlight.)

...She doesn’t want anyone to know how bad she’s doing right now.

“I’m sure it is,” Korosensei replies. “But for the record, please feel free to talk about it. I will not force you… that’s your decision to make, after all, but there is no need to feel ashamed. I went through what you went through, too.”

(He says that, but he’s not behaving like she is. He’s not- he’s not acting irrational… scared out of his mind.)

“Nah,” she says. “I’ve… talked enough.”

(‘I don’t want to bother you.’)

“And besides, it doesn’t matter that much, anyways.”

(‘It matters more than words could possibly say.’)

Korosensei pauses, but doesn’t argue. Instead, tone calm as ever, he says “Very well then. I’m here for you if you change your mind. And if you don’t… well, I hope you rest well.”

“Mm,” Aguri replies, rolling back over. She stares at the wall, heart thumping in her chest as she tries to will herself to close her eyes.

_ Why is… why is this so hard? _

“One more thing,” she says, abruptly. “One last-- this is the last time for real, I swear. There’s just one more thing-- I mean… I probably should have talked about…” She drifts off.

“Yes?” Korosensei asks, almost as if he’d been expecting her to speak. “What is it?”

“I guess I just… I guess I just wanted to thank you for being here.  _ Again.”  _ She pauses. “I know I’m probably repeating myself a lot. And I’m probably getting on your nerves, but-- but it was really lonely. And I…- it feels good to have someone to sit by me. Even if that… that’s probably why I’m oversharing so much. Why I’m-”

“You’re not oversharing,” Korosensei interjects. “...Please, feel free to talk. And for the record…” He’s quiet for a long moment. “I’m glad you’re here too.”

Aguri blinks back tears. She knows it’s probably an overreaction… the ‘bare minimum’ or whatever, but it still feels really,  _ really  _ nice to hear.

“I think that… I think that the loneliness was the worst part.”

“Yeah?” Korosensei asks.

“Yeah. I didn’t have anyone to talk to for a really, really long time.” She pauses. “It was… it was so scary. Having something like that happen to me but-- but no-one to- to dissect it with. I’m this sort of-- I’m a needy person… I need everything laid out for me. I can’t-- I like-- I  **_can’t_ ** get by without other people. Without them I felt so… so helpless.” She curls in on herself. “I was.”

Korosensei’s quiet for a long moment. For a second she thinks she’s done something to make him mad, but when he finally sits up and glances over at her, it’s with sad eyes.

“Now I’m sure that’s not true,” he reassures. “That said, however. I’m… sorry you went through that. You didn’t deserve it, and please allow me to reassure you that you are  _ not  _ needy or helpless.” 

He says it with such conviction, but Aguri doesn’t believe it for a second. This person’s just met her, after all, hasn’t he?

(‘You know that’s not true,’ she thinks. ‘You’re just ashamed to be seen.’ But all the same,  **_he_ ** didn’t really know anything about her, either, did he? He never saw just how worthless she was.

...That’s why he cried when she died.)

“Sit up, why don’t you?” Korosensei asks. “It’s clear you’re not going to be able to sleep.” He pauses. “And I mean that in the least offensive way. It seems you’ve just got a lot on your mind.” He tilts his head. “Talk to me about it. Sleep can wait.”

Aguri feels like she’s screwed up. She didn’t mean to disturb him… make this into a whole thing. She just wanted to-- to get it off her chest or whatever. Having it turned into a conversation as opposed to an interjection…-

Well, that feels bad.

Nevertheless, she sits up. She doesn’t want to be any more difficult than she’s already been, now. And besides, lying down was sort of making her shiver, anyways.

“Would you like tea or something?” Korosensei asks. “Strong sensory input can be good for grounding.”

“...Nah,” Aguri replies. “It’s a little late for that, and besides,” she pauses. “I don’t think I could keep it down, anyways.”

“That’s fine,” Korosensei replies. “I just thought I’d offer.”

Trying not to look into his weary eyes or towards her own deformed body, Aguri adjusts her cloak and stares across the room at the night light. It flickers periodically… going on and off. She wonders how long it’s been since anyone has replaced the battery.

(She’s surprised it’s still working at all.)

“So,” she says, mouth dry. “What did you want me to talk about?”

“What did I want you to talk about?” Korosensei repeats. “...Well, nothing in particular. It’s not my place. I simply saw you weren’t ready to sleep yet, and I wasn’t going to force you. I thought some company could help.” He pauses. “You said loneliness was the worst part, after all, yes?”

“Mmm,” Aguri replies, only half paying attention. She starts to fiddle with her hands, but stops the minute they touch. She doesn’t exactly need a reminder.

(It’s weird being able to move them. They were restrained for so long.)

“Just… talk about whatever you’d like, I suppose,” Korosensei says. 

“What I’d like?” Aguri asks, blinking slowly. “Well-- well…--  _ I’m hardly even sure.” _

He must hear the panic creeping up in her tone, because he reaches out to place a tentacle on her shoulder. Squeezing it gently, he says: 

“It does not have to be anything serious. You’re not in a place to dissect what just happened to you right now. And that’s  _ okay.  _ Why don’t we talk about something casual?”

“Something casual?”

“Yes. Just to get your mind off things.”

“Like what?”

She still doesn’t look his way, but she can feel Korosensei staring at her. He must have expected her to lead the conversation-- come up with something-- but when she doesn’t he simply sighs and says, “What about the students?”

“Pardon?” Aguri asks, still staring at the nightlight.

“Why don’t we talk about the students? They’re a good thing,” Korosensei repeats. “I could update you on how they’ve been doing while you were gone.”

‘While you were gone,’ he says, and Aguri feels a knot in her stomach. Still, swallowing that doubt, she doesn’t ask ‘how long?’ but rather says “I’d like that.”

And some part of her legitimately would.

“Well,” Korosensei says. “Things have been well! It took them a bit to warm up to me,” he admits with an awkward chuckle “But as they grew used to my teaching methods they’ve really started to thrive. They’re doing a bit better academically every day, and even  _ more importantly  _ they’ve started to come out of their shells. They’ve learned so much about themselves and each other since we first met.”

“Recently they aced their first trimester finals,” he continues, some of that sadness fading from his tone. “It came as such a pleasant surprise. Of course, _I_ knew they could do it, but it’s the sort of thing that makes you so proud. Seven of them got the highest score in their subject out of the whole _school._ They even bested the A-Class."

Aguri blinks. He’s saying it so confidently, but something about that just doesn’t add up to her. A-Class was… was the gifted class, right? There’s no way that her class—

_ (Got the highest scores in the school.) _

It’s not that she doesn’t believe in them. They have a spark in them, and she’s sure they  _ could  _ do that if they really set out to try, but the truth is… they haven’t. At least… not since she’d last seen them. She remembers quiet, cynical children. Kids with hopeless eyes.

She doesn’t know Korosensei well enough to get a read on him yet. Is he just trying to cheer her up, or is he telling the truth? Is that a white lie, or…-

_ (Was  _ **_he_ ** _ able to reach out to them just like she knew he would?) _

She can hardly even process it. 

She almost feels bad for not being more excited. Exaggeration or not, that’s some news she’s been wanting to hear for a very long time.

“...That’s! That’s wonderful!” She sputters. “And so you mean that- they really did that? No strings attached?”

“Well,” Korosensei says with a laugh. “I never said NO strings. Terasaka and co, ever the mischievous bunch, aced their  _ Home EC  _ classes just to spite me. That said, however: I did not lie. They still received top marks in the grade,  _ and  _ their classmates legitimately scored in more… admirable subjects.” He pauses. “Not that! Not that Home EC isn’t admirable, of course!! It’s a very real skill! I just- I-  _ Well!  _ I’m sure you know what I meant!”

He reaches up to cover his face with those oddly shaped hands. Skin a flushed pink, he trembles and lets out an embarrassed sort of ‘eep!’

Aguri can’t help but stare. It’s… uncharacteristic for him. But all the same, his goofy, easily flustered demeanor only serves to make him all the more approachable. There’s a personal investment behind every word he says.

“Yeah,” Aguri says. “Don’t worry. I get it.”

She’s not sure why she’s reassuring  _ him,  _ but it’s not the bad kind of reassuring. She’s almost started to breathe easier.

He’s right. It IS nice to talk about the kids.

**_“Anyways,”_ ** Korosensei continues, brushing himself off. “My slip of the tongue aside, I’m pleased to inform you that they are doing well. I almost cannot wait for you to see it.” He shoots her a hopeful, almost  _ desperate  _ glance. “I hope you’ll like what I’ve done.”

And Aguri’s sure she will. The state of the E-Class he’s describing… it sounds wonderful. Not only are they thriving academically, but it sounds like an environment where they can be themselves and think outside of the box. The sort of thing she’d always wanted to foster.

(The sort of thing she hadn’t been able to.)

...Well, whatever. She’s not going to be jealous. It’s pretty much only a given that he was able to do better than her. The bar is underground. As long as the kids are happy then she’ll be happy, too. She’s glad they have someone who can suit their needs now.

She’s still not sure she understands  _ everything  _ about the class… why Akari was allowed to join or who the white-haired boy is, but she also supposes that none of that matters right now. They’ll explain it to her in the morning.

For now… she’ll try to accept that fantasy,

“It sounds… almost too good to be true,” she replies. “I’m sure you did a wonderful job.”

“Not too good to be true at all,” Korosensei reassures. “You’ll see in time. I reassure you.”

“Mm,” Agrui says. “Yeah. I know.”

Still… something is bothering her. She remembers Yanagisawa’s manic grin: the mad look in his eye as he described what he did to her students.

“You… meant what you said earlier, right?”

Korosensei pauses. “Pardon?”

“About them all being accounted for. That they’re all safe.”

“Of course,” Korosensei replies. “Why? Did Yanagisawa tell you he hurt them?”

Flashes of children bleeding out come to mind,

“Yeah,” Aguri says. “Something like that.”

Korosensei doesn’t speak… simply pulls her in closer and rests his hand on her shoulder.

She stares at it… dimly backlit by the flickering light. There’s still something about it that she can’t quite place. She's staring at those tentacles somewhere so far from here, and they wipe a tear from her cheek.

‘Wonderful,’ she thinks, desperate yet genuine. And suddenly she’s bleeding out, too.

(The students aren’t the only ones that Yanagisawa told her he killed.)

“Hey. Korosensei,” she says. “Can I ask you a real question?”

“Mm?”

“Is it really you? Or were you just trying to make me feel better then, too?”

Korosensei’s quiet for a bit… almost like it takes him a moment to process what she’s saying. When he turns back to her there’s a melancholy to his tone.

“Well,” he says. “I suppose I could say yes. But there’s very little I could do to prove that to you on words alone. Why?”

“I guess it would just… it would make me feel better to know that he’s-“ she pauses. “That you’re here right now. There’s a whole lot I’ve wanted to say.”

“Hm,” Korosensei replies. “A worthy conundrum indeed. Why don’t you let me try something? I’ve been wondering if this would work again for a long time.”

Aguri opens her mouth to speak, but doesn’t get the chance. Slowly… more tentacles unfurl from the insides of Korosensei’s sleeve, and as they do, a light overtakes the room.

Shedding a faint golden glow, the tentacles weave their way together. Warm to the touch and so strangely familiar, they congregate into a familiar shape… one that reaches across Aguri’s chest and places itself on her cheek.

_ That of a human hand. _

It’s an illusion, of course. If she looks closely she can make out the thousands of tiny tentacles making it up. But if she squints… it almost looks coherent. And even more importantly…-

_ That’s a touch that she knows. _

It comes rushing back to her: that last day at the lab. She’s begging him for a reason to go on and he reaches out across the glass… risking his escape attempt just to soothe her. At the time it had felt so comforting… now it’s more bittersweet, but all the same-

“Ah,” he says, almost sheepish. “And so it did work. I had a feeling, but…” he pauses. “I suppose I just hadn’t really had a worthy reason to try.”

**_It’s him._ **

It is. She  _ knows  _ that it is. And she’s known it all along. Drowning in the golden light… letting it overtake the dim glow of the nightlight and the darkness of the room, she lets out a giddy, almost manic laugh. She tears up… shakes her head--  _ leans ravenously into his embrace. _

She should have spotted it earlier… should have recognized that comforting presence. Sure, it’s changed… but what about them  _ hasn’t?  _ All it’s done is blossomed in that time. All of the kind things he’s done for her tonight… they’re things she’s felt before! By  **_his_ ** side!

“It really is you!” She cries. “Oh my god!  _ It’s really you!” _

She can hardly even contain her joy. And for a second it all fades away. Her situation… the crippling pain: it’s left in the past. She stares into  **_his_ ** eyes and she’s free. She meets his kind gaze. And as her eyes drift downwards towards his chest, she catches sight of something she  _ knows  _ she’s seen before.

The tie.

There it is, worn ‘round his neck like a  _ medallion. _ It’s got a pattern stitched into it now, but it’s undeniably the same: the gift that  **_she_ ** gave him

(He liked it!?  _ He really liked it!? She can hardly even believe her eyes!) _

“He didn’t hurt you! Oh thank  _ god!  _ **_He didn’t hurt you!_ ** I missed you so much!” 

She wraps her arms around him. And for a split second, The Reaper looks happy. But as she leans in to do what she does next, that happiness quickly fades.

Aguri tries to kiss him.

She’s not even sure what comes over her. She’s just…  _ so happy to see him again!  _ Losing complete control, she  _ buries  _ herself in that moment of respite-- and reaching out to grasp at that happy ending, she does what she’s wanted to do for  _ oh so long. _

Reaper’s face flashes grey. Pink. Blue. The light follows suit. And then, abruptly, it flickers out-- leaving the two of them alone in the dark. Reaper pulls himself back, the ‘hand’ jerking from her cheek, and hurls himself against the wall.

“Woah!” He says, utterly shocked.  _ “Now let’s not get ahead of ourselves!” _

And all at once, the illusion fades.

Recognizing the discomfort in his tone, Aguri pulls back as well. And almost  _ instantly  _ shame washes over her. Eyes wide-- she realizes what she’s done… and heart heavy, she remembers where she is right now. She’d almost forgotten, but that’s right. She’s… this, now, and they are  _ not _ back then.

Things have  **_changed._ **

“I’m-- _ I’m so sorry--”  _ she gasps. “...I’m not sure what came over me. I guess-- I guess I just assumed that--” She shakes her head, tearing up for an entirely different reason now. “No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thought that you felt the same. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just so happy to see you and I… I--”

She what? ‘Lost control?’ _ That’s no excuse for that kind of behavior! _

“...I won’t do it again.”

Reaper’s looking at her, expression intense. His face is still that dark, deep shade of blue… an aspect of that form she  _ doesn’t  _ recognize. ‘That’s right,’ she reminds herself. ‘He’s… Korosensei now. Not Reaper. He’s not bound to feel the same.’

(And if she’s being honest, it’s pretty much a joke that Reaper would have been attracted to her, either.)

Closing his eyes and breathing in deep, Korosensei finally speaks.

“No,” he says. “There’s… no need to apologize. Do not worry about making me uncomfortable.” Pausing for a long moment, he steeples his fingers. “That is not why I told you to stop. I’m simply concerned for your sake, Yukimura. There are… much more important things for you to be focusing on right now. You just got out of an insanely traumatic situation. If I allowed you to kiss me, then I’d only feel like I was taking advantage of you.”

“You’ve got your family and yourself to be worrying about right now,” he continues. “I would  **_never_ ** want to distract you from that. I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression. Perhaps I shouldn’t have…-”

“No,” Aguri breathes out heavily. “It’s… fine.” She pauses. “It’s… really good to know you’re alive. I’m the only one who crossed a boundary.” She’s shaking, slightly. “...I’m the one who made a mistake.”

And Korosensei’s right. Aguri doesn’t know what she was thinking. She’s got-- she’s got  _ so  _ much to process right now… a little sister to take care of. She shouldn’t be worrying about… about--

(Well, she always has been the sort to focus on the wrong things)

**_God,_ ** she’s an idiot.

“Don’t think of it like that,” Korosensei replies. “Or at least… don't beat yourself up. It was an honest misunderstanding.” He sighs. “Just… please: do not try anything like that again... for your own sake. I’d feel immeasurably bad for putting you in that sort of situation. I’m glad you’re alive, too.  _ I really missed you.  _ And I would never be angry with you, but...” he drifts off. “I don’t want to make things any worse for you than they already are.”

“...You wouldn’t make it worse,” Aguri reassures, voice quiet.

Shaking his head, Korosensei says “All the same, I’m not interested in being involved with anything of the sort. And you shouldn’t be, either. Worry about yourself first and foremost. Later you can focus on… all of that.”

“Mmm,” Aguri replies, eyes glued to the floor.

“Again, for the record: I am not mad at you,” Korosensei reassures, letting out a sigh. “I promise you: I am still  _ very  _ happy that you are here right now… and I missed you more than words can say. But I don’t intend to fail you a second time. And I will do everything within my power to make sure that you end up alright.”

Blinking softly, Aguri feels ashamed. It’s clear that this person really cares about her. And what did she do for him in return? Accuse him of not being the person he said he was and then try to force herself onto him?  _ That’s  _ not how a friend behaves. That’s not how  **_anyone_ ** does!

“I should sleep,” she says rather abruptly.

“Are you sure?” Korosensei asks. “If there’s still something you’d like to get off your chest-”

“No,” Aguri replies. “I’m sure.”

...There’s still a lot on her mind... still a lot that she wants to say about how weird it is to not be in pain or how sorry she is that Korosensei had to see her like this, but now’s not the time. She’s already done more than enough damage for one night… and she got her answers. It’s official: she got her best friend-- the  _ only  _ person who ever told her he believed in her-- back, and she’s already managed to alienate him.

Things couldn’t possibly be any more clear than that.

“Very well then,” Korosensei says. He sounds skeptical, but he must know better than to argue. “That’s good. You should get some rest. I apologize for trying to force you to sleep earlier. I just did not know how to handle the situation and thought that rest could help you in ways that I couldn’t. I hope this talk at least eased a few of your fears.”

“It did,” Aguri awkwardly reassures. “And… don’t worry about what you can’t fix. Just keeping me company helps.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she replies, turning over and laying down. “I’ll go to sleep for real now. Sorry again for…-” she pauses. “All of that.”

“Don’t be,” Korosensei replies. “Just... clear your mind of those sorts of things for now, alright? They’ll only drag you down.”

He doesn’t stand, but he doesn’t motion to lay down next to her, either. Sitting awkwardly with legs off the side of the bed, he cranes his neck her way and shoots her a look. He looks, briefly, like he’s considering reaching out his hand for her to hold… but he retracts it last minute: not wanting to give her the ‘wrong idea’ or anything.

Aguri averts her gaze.

“Goodnight,” she says, voice quiet.

“Goodnight, Yukimura. Rest well.”

And with that, she closes her eyes. For a moment she returns to the darkness… suppresses a full-body shudder, but as Korosensei reaches up not to lay down next to her, but to  _ place a blanket over her,  _ he starts to hum.

It’s this subtle… unintrusive sound. Aguri peeks open an eye-- confused, to look at him… only to catch him looking back over at her. And when she shuts her eyes-- nestles back down into her pillow, the melody continues. It resounds throughout the room, quiet… but comforting nevertheless.

Because, perhaps… it's a reminder that he’s here right now. And that even if things can’t be the exact same, he’s not going to go anywhere. ‘Rest well,’ it says, even wrought with melancholy. ‘You can be reassured that I’ll still be here in the morn.’

It’s not much, but that’s a comfort that she’ll take. And so even though it takes her forever just to drift off… tossing and turning; mind swirling with unfamiliar thoughts, she  _ does  _ eventually fall into the hands of sleep. And when she does, it’s to his song.

...That night, she dreams of plain white ceiling tiles. The smell of 409, and  **_incomprehensibly_ ** gut-wrenching pain. She coughs up blood-- cries for help… and when muscle bursts forth from her skin it writhes- making her lose utter control of herself. She’s back there for just a minute, and she’s afraid.

But even so, Aguri doesn’t wake. And Aguri certainly doesn’t scream. She already knows that it’ll do nothing by this point… that her fate is inevitable.

And so when she wakes up sometime early that morning, not to the sound of sirens or to the overwhelming pain, but to sunlight filtering in through the window shades… she’s oddly relieved.

After all, she already gave up on having moments like this a very long time ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Andddd Aguri arrives home. What a simultaneously quiet, thoughtful, and yet distressing chapter. Poor girl's got so much to take in.
> 
> As does her sister... who's doing, like, kind of unwell. Thankfully, though, I have a feeling that she'll be okay. I just wanted to emphasize that the tentacles very much had an effect on her and that she's going to need a lot of rest.
> 
> You may notice that while Aguri was going in to get a water for Akari she mentioned her dad. Pay attention to that, alright? He'll be coming up again in the future. She still has to let HIM know she's alive, after all. ;) (I'm sure that'll go great) 
> 
> She's having a hard time adapting to her body. I wanted to make sure that this doesn't come too easily to her. It's unfamiliar... and things like walking or writing will take time to relearn. I imagine completely changing like that has to be super disorienting. And I had to point that out, even if it led to super sad scenes like the poor girl dropping the glass.
> 
> At the very least she got a small moment of respite with Akari. The sisters... they care about each other. Yes they do.
> 
> I wish I could have described Aguri's appearance more. But any more paragraphs about just how bad she looks and it'd have felt excessive. 😅 More than anything I just hope I got across the point that she looks TECHNICALLY more human... but also significantly scarier. She's gonna have complexes about this, huh? Oof.
> 
> And complexes about... um-- the other thing that happened this chapter.
> 
> Sorry kings, but no Koroagu yet. As nice as it would be to start writing fluff this early into the fic no fucking way. Korosensei HAS feelings for her for the record, and I hope that's evident in the way he behaves... but he feels like he'd OBJECTIVELY be taking advantage of her in this situation if he entered a relationship when she was so fucked up. She needs time to recover first. And as much as that hurts her feelings, that'll probably be for the best.
> 
> (Plus, I think there needs to be more slowburn where both characters have feelings for each other and FUCKING KNOW THAT.)
> 
> Of course... who knows if AGURI will interpret this as gently as Korosensei just looking out for her, though. Hopefully the rejection doesn't wound her feelings too much, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.
> 
> For now she's got to focus on the future. Next chapter she'll get up and get to start preparing for school. Hopefully her morning's a bit more relaxed than her evening was, at least.
> 
> Said chapter will be up in 2 weeks. Sorry, I enjoyed the 1 week stream, but I need a bit of buffer time. Hope ya'll can understand!
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were How To Return Home from The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown, Safe And Sound by Taylor Swift, She Used To Be Mine from Waitress, Get Up by Barcelona, Small Hands by Radical Face, and In The Absence Of Everything I'll Keep You Warm by Flatsound.
> 
> "Days dedicated to the thought of being through  
> And I just want to lay in bed with you  
> And admit that I'm so tired of everything I do  
> But with you, but with you  
> It was new
> 
> And I can't stop thinking of the moon  
> Or the nights I saw your breath in the room  
> So draw a line within the snow  
> Between what you thought and what you know  
> And in that space, I'll build a home and I'll wait
> 
> If this fire goes out, I will keep you warm the best I can  
> I'll throw everything I have into the flames  
> Just to make it last"
> 
> ...As always, I hope you enjoyed. Make sure to let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon!


	10. Morning Time

Kayano creeps in a little past six.

Korosensei’s still awake, and he’s actually working on something when she peeks her head in. She freezes up at the sight of him-- eyes wide, almost like she didn’t expect him to still be awake.

“Oh,” she says, voice quiet. “You're here.”

“Indeed,” Korosensei replies, voice hushed as well. “Why? Is something wrong?”

Brows furrowing, Kayano shakes her head.

“No,” she says. “I just wanted to check up on her.” She pauses. “Is she sleeping?”

“Yeah,” Korosensei says, placing his supplies off to the side. “I figure you can come over, though. She’s out like a rock.”

Kayano wastes no time. Hurrying across the room, she joins Korosensei beside the bed. There she stares at Aguri tangled up in the covers for a long moment, utterly silent.

“And so it really happened,” she says. “...It wasn’t a dream.”

Voice quivering, she reaches up to bat at her eyes. She sniffles, hiccups, and lets out a sputtery, long-held, sigh of relief.

_ “...She’s alive," _ she says, blinking quick.  **_“Oh thank god._ ** For a second there I was scared I was making it up. Scared that I’d wake up and she wouldn’t be there anymore. But she’s…  _ she’s--” _

She reaches a hand out… motioning to touch Aguri, but pauses.

“She’s home,” Korosensei says, giving a smile. “You’ve got nothing else to worry about.”

He knows that’s not true, but he’d like to think it’s  _ some  _ form of consolation, even if Kayano probably doesn’t really want to hear that from him.

At hearing his words Kayano seems to straighten up some. Eyes narrowed, she brushes the tears from her cheeks. Still, she doesn’t seem  _ mad  _ at him… just humiliated more than anything.

“Yeah,” she says, voice tense.

(Turns out she probably doesn’t wanna think about what ways that’s not true, either.)

She shifts, slightly… shuffles from foot to foot. She looks like she has something she wants to say, but she must suppress it, because she certainly doesn’t speak.

That’s okay. Not wanting her to focus on the negative elements of her sister’s situation any more than she needs to, Korosensei asks her if she’s feeling any better.

“You certainly worked yourself hard. You worried her, you know," he says, steepling his hands. “Do you think you’ll be able to make it to school tomorrow?”

“School?” Kayano asks, sounding almost surprised. “You mean you’re going?”

“Of course,” Korosensei replies. “I made a promise to her, after all.” He pauses. “Ideally, she’ll be able to come, too. I’d like to reintroduce her to the students.”

“Well…” Kayano says. “If she’s coming, I’ll come too. But that’s yet to be seen.”

“That’s okay,” Korosensei says. “That’s  _ good,  _ even. She wouldn’t want to stay here alone.” He pauses. “...Though you’ll need to go eventually. Back to school, I mean. Your classmates are worried about you.”

“Worried,” Kayano says, lip twitching. “Mad at, more like.”

“Now I’m sure  _ that’s  _ not true,” Korosensei replies, shooting her a sympathetic look. “They’re your friends, after all.”

“...In concept,” Kayano murmurs. “But I only really enrolled to deal with all of this. Now that the cat’s out of the bag…” she drifts off. “Well, I have a feeling that it’s going to end poorly.”

“Sometimes these things do,” Korosensei admits. “...Still, I believe you’ll be okay. Both of us have stories we don’t want to tell, but must. Why don’t we face that together?” He cocks his head, gives her a bittersweet smile. “These things are always much easier with a friend.”

“Mmm,” Kayano says, only sounding half-convinced. Her eyes are still locked on her sister-- illuminated by the dim glow of the nightlight. “...If only for Aguri’s sake. She deserves to know.”

Something tells him she resents the implication that he’s a friend. Still, he doesn’t mind.

“Fine by me,” Korosensei replies, letting out a low hum. “That’s more than a noble reason. If it’s your sister who gives you the strength to share the truth, then so be it.” 

He pauses for a moment… observes her quietly. “You really care about her, don’t you?” He asks. “I’m sorry I didn’t pick up on that sooner. I should have known who you were.” He reaches out to run a tentacle over his tie. “I should have known to apologize for almost taking her away from you.”

“It’s…  _ whatever,”  _ Kayano says with a sigh. “I still don’t like you one bit, but it’s a  _ good  _ thing you didn’t pick up on my act. I don’t know what I would have done if you found out.” She frowns. “Probably would’ve just tried to kill you then and there… but  _ that  _ wouldn’t have been successful. You probably would have killed  _ me  _ instead.”

“Now that’s not true,” Korosensei replies. “I never would have laid a hand on you. Even forgetting the fact that you’re Aguri’s baby sister, you’re still my precious student. You mean the world to me. All of you do.”

“Mmm,” Kayano says, still sounding like she doesn’t quite believe that. “Yeah, yeah. I know.”

They sit in silence for a bit. But as Kayano’s gaze drifts from Aguri and to the pile of fabric lying by Korosensei’s side, she must be unable to bear the quiet any longer.

“...What are you working on?” She asks. “Are those knitting needles?”

“Ah,” Korosensei says, lifting up his handiwork. “I was simply readjusting some things while she slept. What do you think? Will she like it?”

Kayano stares for a long moment-- almost like she doesn’t know how to react. But after what feels like forever she finally says “...Yeah. She probably actually really will.”

And not wanting to stay starstruck for long, she turns. Giving a shrug, she says “...I should probably get going to do something productive, too. I don’t want her to wake up to an empty kitchen. Usually I make breakfast around this time, but I wanted to make sure that she was alright first.”

“Of course,” Korosensei replies. “No shame in that. I’m still processing this myself.” Carefully, he places his project to the side. “Good luck with breakfast, Kayano. And I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“...Yeah,” Kayano responds, making her way over to leave. But she pauses in the doorway, and turns her head to whisper something under her breath.

“Thank you for helping me bring her home, for the record. I really appreciate it.”

“No need,” Korosensei reassures. “I was more than happy to help out, and I always will be. Thank you, too, for letting me know that she was alive at all.”

“...Yeah,” Kayano says. “Of course.” And with that, she hurries off. She murmurs one last “See you sis, and… see you Sensei,” and then she’s gone. Still, Korosensei doesn’t mind. Despite the awkwardness, the aura of anger has started to fade.

“See you, Akari," he says with a smile. And then… listening to Aguri snore, he gets back to work.

* * *

Aguri wakes up to sunlight, but the first thing she does is flinch.

It’s not a conscious decision-- it’s involuntary, more than anything-- but the minute she sees the bright white she pulls back, shuts her eyes, and braces herself.

...The pain doesn’t come.

And carefully, she peeks open an eye. It’s only then that she starts to process where she really is. Ah, right… she’s not chained to the operating table. At least… she doesn’t think. She’s in bed. At home.

(It’s crazy how unreal all of this feels still.)

There’s a faint pounding on her head— a dull  _ aching  _ in her bones, but it’s nothing like what she’s usually grown accustomed to when waking up. As no needles prick her skin, she lets out a deep, raggedy sigh of relief.

She can faintly make someone out at the periphery of her vision… and at first, she flinches from them too. At least until she processes what exactly she’s looking at, and the events of last night come rushing back to her. The gangly, yellow creature perched on the side of her bed is no stranger, much less a foe.

(He’s  _ Reaper.) _

He looks like he hasn’t moved an inch all night. Nevertheless, he must feel her flinch back, because he slowly turns his body and shoots a look her way.

“Good morning,” he says. “Did you sleep well? And is everything alright?” He pauses. “You looked frightened for a moment there.”

He’s back to that same comforting demeanor. Fingers steepled patiently and an everlasting smile plastered across his face, there’s no remnant of the awkwardness from the night before. He’s his usual chipper self… whatever that means. Thinking about it again, Aguri supposes she doesn’t really know what he’s like ‘most of the time’ now.

“I’m… fine,” she replies, shaking her head. “Just had a bad dream, that’s all.”

Symptomatic of a pretty bad life, but she doesn’t dare share  _ that. _

Korosensei’s quick to change the topic. Pointing to something lying flat on his lap, he says “I did some work while you were asleep. I hope you don’t mind me touching your stuff, but…” He pauses. “I thought you might appreciate the gesture.”

It takes her a moment to process what he’s talking about, but as he holds up a strangely shaped T-shirt it  _ clicks.  _ He’d resewn one of her T-Shirts to fit her now. She can hardly even believe it.

“No,” she says, a little taken aback. “I don’t mind at all. That’s… actually really sweet.”

Korosensei’s face flushes pink for just a split second. Scratching at his cheek, he says “You really think so? Why thank you!” He pauses. “Sorry if the measurements aren’t perfect, and I’d have liked to get more done… but there’s only so much you can do when you’re trying not to wake a sleeping person. Please let me know if you need any readjustments, and I hope three will suffice for now.”

‘Three?’ Aguri thinks, groggily sitting up. And sure enough, two more T-Shirts lie resting on his lap. She can hardly even believe it. He seemed to imply that that was somehow a small number, but she didn’t expect to wake up to anything like this at  _ all. _

“Thank you,” she says, almost transfixed. “...You didn’t need to do anything like that.”

“Eh,” Korosensei replies. “I didn’t intend to sleep either way, and I left the papers I’d been meaning to grade at the school. I figured I may as well do  _ something  _ with my time.”

Still, Aguri’s impressed. Now she’s no expert on this sort of thing, but the T-Shirts look almost  _ factory produced.  _ Surely he’d had to unseam, seam, and even  _ resew  _ them. Where did he get the materials for that kind of thing?

(Did… did she know that Reaper knew how to do this, or did he just never share?)

“But that’s enough about me,” Korosensei continues, sitting up straight. “Why don’t you take these for a spin? Get out of that dusty cloak and into something of your own. Surely it’ll feel much more like home.”

Aguri hesitates for a moment. Honestly… she likes the cloak, but she knows that she can’t just keep something that belongs to him. Shrugging it off of her shoulders, she hands it over and begins to remove her scrubs… at least until Korosensei stops her.

“If you’re going to undress you should do so in privacy. Unless you’d prefer I just turn?”

Aguri’s eyes go wide. Letting out a sudden gasp, she shakes her head.

“N-no!” She sputters. “I’ll go. I wasn’t thinking about--  **_oh god,”_ ** She drifts off, feeling horror dawn on her. “I’m sorry.”

It hadn’t even hit her that what she was doing was inappropriate. She’d simply grown used to monotony and not caring about things like having privacy after months of being poked and prodded at. She hopes he doesn’t interpret that as her trying to come onto him… especially after what happened last night. She’d gone into autopilot… and she hadn’t even had time to think through what she was doing.

“Don’t apologize,” Korosensei reassures. “I simply let you know for a reason. Now would you prefer to stay in here while I go, or would you like to go to the bathroom?” 

“Bathroom is fine,” Aguri replies, standing. Humiliated and disgusted, she’d like a moment to collect herself… and she doesn’t wanna force Korosensei out of his comfort zone anymore than she already has.

“Very well then,” Korosensei says, handing the shirts over to her. “Just let me know if you need any help. And take all of the time that you need.”

Slowly, Aguri drags herself across the floor. She’d thought she was getting the hang of it last night, but after a full eight hours of sleep, her progress seems to have reset. Her limbs are heavy, and she stumbles, slightly, as she slithers along.

Quietly, her stomach lets out a growl. She hadn’t realized it the night before, but she’s both starving  _ and  _ sore. The pain having in no way gone away completely, it boils her veins and leaves her feeling lightheaded.

Nevertheless, she makes her way into the hallway and over to the bathroom door. She fumbles with it for a long moment - hand slipping from the doorknob, before finally getting a grip and retching it open. Then, she steps inside… body barely fitting through the doorway as she struggles to squeeze into the cramped room.

Taking a deep, stressed-out breath, she places her clothes by the sink and reaches to strip from her scrubs. There, she pauses, however… taking a nice long moment to look at herself in the mirror.

Things are even worse than last night. She guesses she thought things would have been better by morning, but then again she’s not sure why. She knows good things don't happen to her at this point: there’s no use in getting her hopes up. Even if she’s out of that situation (and _ for now) _ it’s not like it didn’t happen.

(Nope. She's stuck with this. That body she can’t control, much less bear to look at... and for  _ life.) _

Trying her best not to meet her own gaze, she pulls the tattered scrubs from her skin. She’s long since outgrown them. Somehow that makes her feel ashamed. Had the scientists really been looking at  _ this  _ for all those months?

Trying not to think about it too much, she takes a random shirt and pulls it on over her head. It takes a couple tries, but eventually, she manages to get it though… and it only takes twice as long to yank her arms through the sleeves. Somehow she expects that to hurt more- bulging veins or whatever, but it makes for a surprisingly loose, comfy fit.

(‘Plus,’ she thinks ‘It’s not really  _ veins  _ extending from your arms is it? It’s muscle. Or tentacles. Maybe both.’

...Ew. Somehow that’s worse.)

She doesn’t have pants. With her uneven, ever-moving tentacles that’s the sort of thing that’s  _ far  _ above Korosensei’s paygrade… even as an expert seamster or whatever. She supposes she could wear a skirt if she really wanted to-- but she’s not exactly the flawless feminine type, and besides… Korosensei seems to have accounted for her dilemma, anyways.

He’s extended the length of the shirt. Now going down to where her knees would’ve been, it’s more dress-like, and covers her wound and private parts. It’s still not perfect… she quite frankly feels humiliated with the lower half of her tentacles out in full view for everyone to see, but she’s not going to complain.

The T-Shirt’s got some sort of dumb motto on it. That, and a picture of a two-headed horse. “Coffee is drink!” it says, one head raised to the air. A bright green star shape rests behind it-- a stark contrast to the orange of the rest of the shirt.

Aguri’s face flushes pink, and her heart starts to sink. She remembers how confident she felt in these tees just a few months ago... but now that she thinks about it they’re really kind of dumb, aren’t they?

_ (“Stop  _ **_wearing_ ** _ those already!” Yanagisawa demands, slapping his palm across her cheek. “You’re embarrassing me! What are you!? Fucking FIVE!?”) _

Still… she supposes it’s too late to dispose of it now. She wouldn’t want Korosensei to do any more work than he already has. She’ll grit and bear it-- wear the dumb shirt. It’s not like she can look much worse than she already currently does.

With that, she goes. She sends one last long look at herself in the mirror -- trying not to focus on the fact that she doesn’t recognize her own face-- then turns… reaches out for the doorway, and nudges it open.

In hindsight, she’s super thankful that Korosensei stopped her from stripping. Not just because it would have been a violation of his privacy, but because she'd hate to be seen like that, too.

Korosensei isn’t the only person waiting for her. Standing outside in the hallway is Akari, eyes wide and shoulders stiff. She rushes to meet Aguri the moment she sees her, arms open as she wraps her in a hug.

“You’re awake!” She shouts. “I was just coming to check up on you!”

Aguri freezes up-- anxious at the touch. But she soon relaxes as she reminds herself that it’s just Akari. Giving a small nod, she says “Yeah. I got up maybe fifteen minutes ago.”

Now that she thinks about it she’s not sure why she didn’t check up on Akari _first._ Forget her dumb T-Shirts and her issues with Korosensei! Akari was probably worried sick about her. What kind of sister _is_ she?

“I’ve been up since like six,” Akari says, kind of quiet. “I came to check up on you, but you were still asleep. You had me worried.”

“Worried?” Aguri asks, still barely processing that. It’s _ her  _ who should be worrying about Akari right now.

“Yeah,” Akari says. “I mean… at first I wasn’t even sure what happened was  _ real.  _ And when I checked up on you it eased some of my fears, but I guess I wasn’t ever gonna be certain until I talked to you again for real.” She pauses. “Let’s not worry about any of that, though. How are you feeling?”

‘Oh,’ Aguri thinks. She… must have really stressed Akari out. In hindsight, she regrets not leaving her a note or something-- a simple ‘I’m okay.’ But then again she’s not sure she even could have  _ written  _ one.

“...Good,” she replies, not wanting to worry her sister any further. “I’m good. What about you? Korosensei told me you worked yourself really hard last night.” 

Akari tenses slightly, but soon relaxes.

“Oh,” she says. “...It’s fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m feeling better already.”

Aguri’s not quite sure she believes  _ that,  _ but she doesn’t get the chance to dispute it. Korosensei joins the two of them in the hallway, giving Akari a wave.

“Ah!” he says. “Kayano! I see you’ve seen that Aguri is awake. How are you feeling?”

“Good,” Akari repeats, finally pulling away. “It’s a relief to see her on her feet.”

“Indeed!” Korosensei agrees, giving a hearty nod. “Which does remind me: I have a question to ask you, Miss Aguri. Now that you’re up and about, would you be interested in coming to school with me? We won’t leave you alone if you refuse, of course… and I completely understand if you don’t feel ready, but something tells me that the students would be quite happy to see you.”

“Ah…-” Aguri says, a little taken aback. Quite frankly she hadn’t had any sort of formal plans for the day. She didn’t even really know it was a  _ school  _ day. Having that bombshell dropped on her feels pretty abrupt.

“Well… I mean-- that would be nice, I suppose,” she admits. “But are you sure I wouldn’t be a distraction? I’d hate to frighten them.”

“Aguri…” Korosensei says, an apprehension to his tone. “Now I’m sure that  _ that _ wouldn’t happen. If anything, they’re just likely very worried about you after what happened last night.” He pauses. “I’m sure they’d be more than happy to see you. You  _ are  _ their original teacher, after all.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know,” Aguri replies halfheartedly. “I just don’t want to put them in any weird situations.”

Akari lets out a scoff.

“Don’t worry about that,” she says. “Our situation’s already more than weird. We’ve had  _ that  _ guy teaching us for the past five months.” She points a finger at Korosensei. “You’ll come as a breath of fresh air.” She pauses. “And besides, you’re not weird, anyways.”

Usually, Aguri would argue. But she’s a little too caught up on something else Akari said. 

_ ‘Five months,’  _ she thinks, brow furrowing. ‘Has it really only been that long?’

On one hand… it comes as a relief. She’s glad she hasn’t missed  _ too  _ much. But on the other hand, it feels like it’s been much longer than that. She was in that lab for an  _ eternity.  _ There’s no way it could have been that short of a time.

‘March,’ she thinks. ‘It was… March, right? When all of that happened?’ She’s not quite certain, but it  _ sounds  _ right. She was celebrating something with the Reaper in  _ March.  _ But what would that make it now? March… April…  _ May- _

“A very good point,” Korosensei agrees. “Your students are already well adjusted to the strange and peculiar. They won’t bat an eye-- I reassure you. And so what is it, then? Would you be interested in accompanying us?”

_ “...August.” _

“Pardon?”

Aguri blinks, pulling herself from her stupor. Shaking her head, she says “Er-- I mean… okay, I suppose. But only if you think things will really be okay.”

“I promise they will,” Korosensei replies. “I’ll make sure of it.” He gives her a bright smile. “As I said: the kids should be happy to see you, and I can explain the full situation to both you and them there. Then, I can introduce you to Karasuma and Irina-sensei… and the three of us can see what we can do to help you out.”

“...Karasuma and Irina-sensei?” Aguri repeats.

“Other teachers,” Akari clarifies. “Don’t worry. They’re more normal… mostly.” She pauses-- makes a face. “You’ll see what I mean.”

Aguri nods. She’s still not sure she understands the entire situation, but she made a commitment-- she’s not going to back out on it. And besides,  _ anything _ is better than having to stay home alone.

“Anyways!” Akari says, straightening herself up slightly. “I made breakfast. It’s not anything perfect, but…” she drifts off. “You think it might be a good idea to get something on your stomach?”

Aguri blinks. She must admit she still feels a little bit sick to her stomach-- it comes bundled with the entire situation, but now that she’s had a bit of time to calm down she realizes that she’s starving. Stomach desperately clawing for food, she takes note of her fatigued, trembling limbs.

“I’d… appreciate that,” she says. “I haven’t had anything to eat in a while.”

Now that she thinks about it, she might not have to eat at all. She- like- expelled her stomach or whatever… but either way she’s starving, and the desperate lightheadedness doesn’t give her much time to think.

Nodding, Akari leads the two of them into the kitchen. There she’s got a stack of pancakes already prepared, with some fruit to the side.

“Not the healthiest breakfast,” she says. “But if you’re anything like me I figured you’d be craving something sweet.

With that, she leads Aguri over to a seat. Awkwardly, Aguri takes her place… struggling to maneuver her tentacles up onto the chair. Thankfully, the kitchen seems to have been tidied up a bit since last night, at least. The chairs are dusted, and another’s been pulled up, presumably for Korosensei.

He doesn’t immediately take a seat. Instead, staring at the ground for a long moment, there’s this desperate, melancholy look to his eyes. Aguri thinks he’s sad for a split second, but when his head shoots up he’s practically salivating.

“Sweet!?” He repeats, looking a little bit like a kicked puppy. _ “Ohhh… Kayano--  _ please tell me I can have some!”

Akari hesitates. But she must catch Aguri shooting her an aloof, if a little confused, look, because she lets out a deep sigh and says “Fine. **_BUT ONLY A LITTLE.”_ **

Hardly even listening to what she’s saying, Korosensei rushes to her side. Barrelling into his seat he takes a fork in one hand and a knife in the other. Then, particularly crazed, he grabs a plate, a stack of pancakes, and is on them like an apex predator.

**_“Oh thank you!”_ ** he cries, voice a wail.  _ “Thank you, thank you, thank you! _ You know I need my nutrition!  **_I’ll make sure to never forget your kindness, Miss Kayano!”_ **

Aguri jolts slightly at the sudden movement, but is quick to remind herself that it’s just The Reaper. She’s… not in any danger. She’s fine. Reaper is simply devouring a stack of pancakes like a  **_frenzied zoo animal._ **

(‘Jeez,’ she thinks. ‘It really  _ has  _ to have been longer than five months, hasn’t it?’ There’s no way things possibly could have changed this much in that time.)

Akari rolls her eyes-- unamused. All the same, her demeanor seems much less hostile towards Korosensei than it had been yesterday… and she’s annoyed at worst. That comes as a relief to Aguri. She’s not sure what she’d do if they ever fought for real. But she’s also sure Akari’s had a lot of time to think things over... and so that probably won’t happen.

Ignoring the _thing_ seated at their dinner table, Akari reaches out for a bottle of syrup and asks Aguri how many pancakes she’d like. 

“You might want to get on it quick,” she suggests. “Something tells me they’ll be gone pretty soon.”

Aguri pauses, thinking. On one hand she’s really hungry… but on the other hand she doesn’t want to hog. She’s sure Akari put a lot of work into this-- and she wouldn’t want to rob either her or Korosensei of a fulfilling meal. She just got back, after all. She doesn’t want to forget her place.

“Er… two would be fine, I think,” she says. “If that’s alright, I mean. If that’s too much, then I’m happy to-”

“That’s fine,” Akari interjects, sliding a plate Aguri’s way. “I asked for a reason.” 

With that, she hands the pancakes over and places some fruit to the side.

“Syrup?” She asks, holding up the bottle.

“...That would be nice.”

Nodding, Akari firmly smacks at the base of the bottle. Slowly… a thick drizzle of syrup trickles out, covering Aguri’s pancake. She gives Akari a nod and a smile. That, and a quiet thank you.

“Of course,” Akari replies, reaching out for a pancake of her own. “Happy to help.”

And with that… all that’s left is actually eating the thing. Quietly, Aguri’s gaze drifts to her utensils, and she feels a knot form in her stomach. She looks towards the pancake, then towards her malformed hands, then back towards the pancake again… and shifts, uncomfortably, hoping nobody notices.

She is  _ not  _ going to have anyone feed her, for Pete’s sake.

She…  _ she can do this-- _

At least…  _ inalittlebit.  _ Not wanting to humiliate herself quite yet, she reaches out for a slice of cantaloupe and takes that instead.

“So,” Korosensei says, finally looking up from his plate. “We’ve ought to discuss how we’re going to get to school. Usually I’d just offer to fly the two of you, but…-” he pauses. “That doesn’t exactly seem like the best idea right now.”

“Mmm,” Aguri says absentmindedly… still staring at the slice of cantaloupe. She rotates it in her hands, bringing it in close to her face- at least until that really hits her, and she freezes.

“Wait,” she says.  **_“Fly!?”_ **

“Ahh…” Korosensei says. “Right. You wouldn’t know about that. Well, you see: I’m capable of flight now… although it’s much closer to that of, say, a rocket, than a bird’s flight. Using my super-speed I can propel myself into the air at an incredible velocity… and it’s wonderful for getting around. But as I’m sure you can imagine, that’s probably not the best solution for today. You’re still getting used to your surroundings, after all. The last thing you need is whiplash on top of all of that.” 

“Well I… I don’t disagree,” Aguri says, blinking. But his insistence on it not being the ideal plan isn’t exactly why she stopped him. She’s just-- she’s just a little stunned… that’s all. Because, like, super speed is one thing, but  _ flight? _

(...Wow. Korosensei really  _ is  _ capable of some incredible things.)

“Which is why it’s probably for the best we walk,” he continues. “School starts at 8:30. Usually, I like to be there at least an hour early, but it’s fine if we can’t make that deadline today.” He turns slightly. “Do you have the time by any chance, Kayano?”

“Yeah,” Kayano says, glancing at the clock overhead. “It’s about 7:20. It’s only a forty-five-minute walk, so we’ve still got some time.” 

“Good. Good,” Korosensei says. “We’re right on schedule. Feel free to take your time, Miss Yukimura. As long as you’re ready by eight we should be fine.”

“...Alright,” Aguri says with a nod. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.” 

And with that, her gaze finally drifts back to the cantaloupe. Deciding that it’s now or never, she pops it into her mouth and starts to chew. What soon washes over her is a wave of  _ utter relief. _

She’d known that she was hungry, but it wasn’t until she actually got something on her stomach that she realized  _ just how hungry she  _ **_was._ ** Snarfing the cantaloupe down, she shakes, slightly, and  _ savors  _ the oh-so-sweet taste.

Before she even knows what she’s doing she’s reaching out for another. And another. She grabs a slice of cantaloupe… a piece of banana… a single grape, and she shovels them into her mouth. Eyes wide, some of her lightheadedness starts to fade.

‘Oh god,’ she thinks. How long has it been since she  **_ate?_ **

She knows it's pathetic… but she can’t will herself to stop. Feeling rather nauseous and suddenly desperate all at once, she clears the plate of fruit and then shoots up. Voice shaky, she asks if she can have a glass of water.

“I’m… I’m really thirsty.”

Korosensei and Akari waste no time. Hurrying to their feet, both of them stand. Although when they spot the other do the same, they pause.

“No need for you to worry about any of that,” Korosensei reassures. “I’ll do it. You just sit right there.”

Akari hesitates, looking a little miffed. But eventually, she does as told and sits back down.

Korosensei, meanwhile, pours Aguri a glass of water. He also pours two glasses of milk: one for himself, and one for Akari.

“You should get some protein,” he says, sitting back down. “It’s good for you.”

Akari gives a nod, reaching out for her cup, but Aguri’s hardly able to pay her any mind. Own glass in hand, she tilts it backwards and takes desperate, greedy gulps. Still shaking, she  _ savors  _ the feeling of the ice water trickling down her throat... and lets out a relieved, sputtery sigh. She barely even realizes she’s gotten water all over her chin until the glass is completely empty.

It’s only then that she spots the other two staring at her. She can’t tell if they’re judging her or just pitying her, but either way it feels pretty bad. She awkwardly places the glass back down, pushing it to the side and giving a nod.

“...Thank you,” she says. “That feels much better.”

“You can have more, you know,” Akari offers. “Both fruit and water. We’ve got plenty.”

Aguri hesitates.

“Well… maybe just a little more would be nice. But not too much--”

Akari stands at once. This time taking the lead, she refills Aguri’s glass and grabs her some fruit from the fridge. She slides both her way, sitting back down.

“Just let me know if you need anything else.”

Now that she’s gotten  _ something  _ on her stomach Aguri is able to slow down a bit. Her limbs still feel heavy... and she shuts her eyes- teary- as she eats, but at least she can refocus on the conversation at hand.

“Today will likely be a bit of a strange day,” Korosensei explains. “While usually I’d prefer not to disrupt your learning, we as a class have got a lot to discuss. Hopefully by the time we’ve arrived, both the students and the other teachers should already be there. We can explain the situation to them in full, and then decide what we’re going to do next… namely with regards to you two.”

“Kayano,” he says. “You’ve got to decide whether or not you’re going to stay in my class. If you’d like to, then I’d be more than happy to have you: but I got the impression that there was a lot of resentment behind your resolve to enroll in the first place. And so if you’d like to leave, then I understand that, too. I’d just like to ensure that you’re still getting some sort of education at all.” He pauses. “That… and that if you  _ do  _ stay, you fully discuss what happened last night with your classmates out in the open.”

Akari fiddles with her food. This uncomfortable expression on her face she says, “Yeah. Of course.”

Aguri’s uncomfortable, too. She’s still hardly even processed what happened last night, but she’s sure it’s got something to do with those  _ things  _ that were inside of her sister. That, and what she used them for to get her out of there. She hopes that Akari’s not in trouble because of her.

_ (She hopes that she’s not still aching-- angry, and desperate for revenge.) _

“And then as for you,” Korosensei says, turning to Aguri. “We’ve got to discuss whether you’d still like to teach or not. If you’d be interested, then I’d be thrilled. But I also understand if you don’t feel capable of that right now. You’ve been through a lot, and you need time to rest. If you wouldn't like to, then you’re under no obligation. I’ll take care of the students for you.” He drifts off. “...All the same, I think it could be good for you to see how they’ve been.”

“Mmm,” Aguri says, sucking on an apple slice. She thinks he has a point, but she’s not really in the brainspace to think it through right now. Sure, she  _ used  _ to have a passion for teaching… but a lot of things have changed since then. She’s sure Korosensei has been taking better care of the students than she  _ ever  _ could have… and even if she  _ wanted  _ to help him out, she’d be scared of putting them in danger.

It’s as she’s mulling it over that she realizes she’s run out of fruit. Blinking, she turns to the pancake. She considers not eating it at all... it feels like such a steep climb in comparison, but she’d hate to take Akari’s hard work for granted. She reaches out for her fork-- taking a few tries just to grab it, before finally managing to wrap one of her thick tentacles around the handle. She lifts it up into the air, grabbing at her knife with the other.

It takes another few tries just to cut the pancakes. Her grip slips a few times, and the knife lets out a horrible grinding noise as it skids against the plate. Ultimately she only ends up cutting her pancakes into an uneven set of fours. Any more, and she’d just be drawing unwanted attention to herself.

(‘Ha,’ she thinks. ‘What a joke. Stop kidding yourself. They’re already staring.  _ You already  _ **_know_ ** _ they’re staring.’) _

She opts to eat the pancakes with her hands. Usually she’d prefer to use a fork-- especially with syrup involved-- but there’s no use in humiliating herself any further. Food’s food. She’ll just have to wash her hands afterwards.

She takes a nervous bite… shifts, and wipes her palm absentmindedly against a hand towel.

“I think… I’d like to take things slow,” she says. “If that’s okay, I mean. I don’t want to make any big decisions about… about my job or what I wanna do yet. But it could be nice to see them-- you’re right.” She drifts off-- chokes up a little. “I’ve missed them a lot.”

“And they’ve missed you, too,” Korosensei reassures. “I hope you’ll be pleased with what I’ve done with the class. And, yes, feel free to take as much time as you need. I reassure you that, teacher or not, you’ll find your place in the assassination classroom with time.”

Aguri’s brow furrows. Placing her pancake down, she asks “Assassination classroom?”

Korosensei’s face pales. Going a dull sort of gray, he fidgets with his fork.

“I did not want to bring this up last night when you were already so stressed,” he admits. “But I suppose I have to break the news eventually. You see: the dynamic of your classroom has changed a bit since you last saw it. Maybe even as much as it’s stayed the same. As I’m sure you’re aware, I am considered a…” he pauses for a long moment, glancing at Akari. “...Danger to the world. The minute I made my existence known many people wanted to end it. But try as they might, they were incapable.” 

Some of the color returns to Korosensei’s face. And almost smug, his smile widens.

“Governments from all across the world have tried to take me down in the time that you were gone. Kill me as a… preventative measure. But it was simply no use. With my newfound powers, I’m  _ much  _ too strong. And that’s where me striking a deal of sorts with them came in.”

“I told them that if they’d allow me to teach at 3-E, then I would not only stay in one place for most of the day... but afford a new group of assassins an ample opportunity to kill me. Namely…: your students.”

“P-pardon!?” Aguri sputters.

“Please try not to get the wrong impression,” Korosensei quickly responds. “I’ve not turned your classroom into a truly violent place. I’ve simply… weaponized your students, and given them motive to kill me. It was the only way to become able to teach. The government never would have allowed me around such vulnerable people if not for that deal… and if I’d tried to teach them anyways then the government may have attacked me with the students nearby. I couldn’t take that risk.”

“I’ve been very careful to make sure that they’re safe,” he continues. “The weapons they’ve been using are able to harm no-one but me... and believe it or not, they’ve actually taken to the challenge incredibly well. Not only are they naturally skilled assassins, but it’s given them motive to thrive in their education as well. While the whole scenario sounds absurd, I do hope that you’ll ultimately like what you see when you get the chance.” He pauses… places his fork down. “My goal going into this  _ was  _ to honor you, after all.”

Aguri frowns. She certainly doesn’t wish to doubt his intentions, but… this is a lot to take in. Have her students really spent the last five months trying to  _ kill  _ him?

(Has… the whole world?)

She knows that he’s dangerous.  _ Objectively,  _ she knows that. But… he’s her friend. And the thought of him not being here breaks her heart. If even one of those kids had succeeded then she wouldn't be talking to him right now. She likely wouldn’t even be  _ free.  _ How messed up is that?

“...Don’t…- don’t worry,” she says, mouth dry. “I’m sure I’ll think it’s… wonderful. This is just a lot to process all at once.”

“Yes, yes. I understand. Do not worry.”

Korosensei’s expression doesn’t falter… and he still speaks warmly as ever. It’s the sort of thing that gives Aguri pause.  _ How  _ is he able to seem so calm discussing all of this? Is he really content with everyone in the world wanting to take him out? Or is he simply hiding it? Like he did back then?

She wishes she could read him. She used to be able to. She knows it. But now things are… things are harder.

She returns focus to her pancakes, unable to meet his eerily pleasant smile. Poking at them, and then taking a bite, she asks:

“Will they try to harm me, too?”

“Well…” Korosensei clicks his tongue. “I’m not sure. First of all:  _ harm  _ isn’t the right descriptor for it. And second of all… I’m not sure if they’ll have the will. While the students have always been eager to shoot, stab, and otherwise mutilate me, I came into their classroom with a rather over the top demeanor. You, on the other hand… they already knew before all of this. You’ll come across as much less of a caricature.”

“That said, however, the minute the government hears of your existence, I doubt they’ll have the same sentimentality. They, likely, will want you dead. There’s a very good chance you have the same abilities as I do, and they’ll see those as a threat.” He sighs. “Because of that, they may order the students to try... whether they’d like to or not.”

The thought makes Aguri feel a little lightheaded. She’s not sure how she feels about the concept of dying… that’s a whole situation in and of itself, but she knows she doesn’t want the  _ students  _ to do it. She’d never put that on them!  _ They’re just kids! _

(Maybe if… maybe if the government  _ really  _ wants her dead, then she should just turn herself i-)

“I don’t get that, actually,” a voice interjects.

And Akari leans over the table, pointing an accusatory finger at Korosensei.

“Of course the government wants you dead,” she says. “You threatened to blow up planet Earth. But what reason do they have to want to take  _ Aguri  _ out? She’s just a victim here.”

“Well…” Korosensei hesitates. “There’s always a risk of Aguri blowing up the earth, as well.”

“Uh-  _ no.  _ I really don’t think there is. Have you _ met _ my sister?”

Korosensei’s quiet for a long moment. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat he says “The truth of the matter, ultimately, is that people don’t like others having power that they cannot control. Whether your sister is behaving maliciously or not, there will always be a suspicion painted on her back.” He sighs. “That’s a disappointing reality of life.” 

“And for the record,” he says. “The planet Earth situation is a lot more nuanced than that. You’ll see for yourself when we discuss this fully in class.”

Planet… Earth? For a second Aguri can’t even comprehend why Korosensei would have made that threat. At least… until she remembers what happened last March 13th. 

The moon. It blew up. That’s what had kickstarted all of this. _And it had signified--_

...Reaper’s deadline.

She can’t believe she managed to forget about that.

She supposes it really  _ has  _ been less than a year. And that he’ll be gone soon, whether the kids take him out or not.

(That she’ll be gone soon, too. Even if she’s finally out of there.)

Even if she somehow miraculously  _ wasn’t  _ at a risk of blowing up (And what a joke… she totally is,) she has her powers to worry about. Korosensei’s right. They’re  _ scary.  _ Everything he can do… she can likely do it, too. The superspeed-- the flying. Invincibility and numbness. All of it is within her grasp. And if she was in the government’s shoes, she’d be scared, too.

Hell, she  _ is.  _ She’d sooner  _ kill herself _ then destroy the world.

“Yeah. Yeah. Whatever,” Akari says, huffing. “Either way… I’m not going to allow them to portray my sister like they portrayed you. And if the class falls for that shit even for a  _ second  _ then I’ll put them in their place myself.”

“Woah,” Aguri says, a little taken aback. “There’s no need to fight with your friends over me--”

“They’re not my friends if they’d be willing to believe that an innocent person is the dangerous one here,” Akari says, almost too quickly. She glowers. “I’ll do what I fucking have to.”

Aguri shifts uncomfortably. It’s more than clear that Akari is on edge. Aguri feels really bad for her. She’s… been lonely, hasn’t she?

With her having been enrolled in the E-Class and all, Aguri’d been hoping that she’d at least had a support system while she was gone. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that she doesn’t know any of her classmates really that well at all. They’re strangers to her: people she doesn’t trust.

And that’s… a pretty uncharitable impression. Sure, Aguri doesn’t remember the E-Class being the  _ nicest  _ to her, but something tells her that they wouldn’t be raring to kill her off, either. They’re good--- if struggling-- kids... not  _ enemies. _

Akari would _ really  _ have to not know them well at all to doubt that.

“...I understand that the situation is deeply stressful,” Korosensei says. “But please try not to worry too much. And  _ please  _ try not to take your anger out on your peers. I’ll talk to the government and attempt to explain things as amicably as possible. I won’t allow them to do something that will make either Aguri or you students uncomfortable. And while I’m sure it will be difficult, I’m also sure that  _ eventually,  _ we’ll come to an agreement.”

Akari rolls her eyes, almost like she doesn’t believe him... but all the same, she doesn’t argue further. Instead, looking exhausted, she simply returns to her meal.

It’s only then that Aguri realizes she’s finished her own meal. She reaches out for a pancake- heart heavy- to suddenly find them gone. She stares down at her empty plate… eyes blank.

(Did she finish that and just not realize? Or-?)

“Um…” she speaks up, not sure whether it’s because she’d like another or simply because she’d like to change the topic. “Do we have any pancakes left? I’m still a bit hungry.”

“Uh. Yeah,” Akari says, reaching out towards the center of the table. “You want one or two?”

“Just one is fine.”

Akari nods, sliding the pancake over onto Aguri’s plate. She pours a thick layer of syrup over it… before returning to her seat and retreating back into herself.

“...I… believe you for the record,” Aguri says, tearing at the pancake with her hands. “Both that you’ll really do everything in your power to protect me, Akari, and that you’ll manage to get something worked out, Korosensei.” She pauses. “...Try to have faith in each other, alright? I wouldn’t want either of you stressing out too much over me.”

Akari opens her mouth to speak, but Korosensei beats her to it.

“Well…” He says. “Some stress is inevitable. That said, however, I’m glad you have confidence in us. We’ll try our best not to let you down.” 

“...Yeah,” Akari says, seemingly sated. “What he said.”

And with that, a quiet falls over the dinner table. Everyone returns to their breakfast, uncomfortable.

There it is again-- that tension. It had seemed to vanish for a bit earlier… like they’d found comfort in each other, but just as soon, it’s back. Aguri wonders if it’s something  _ she’s  _ done wrong. She hopes her situation isn’t causing them to fight.

“So…” she says, hardly able to stand the silence. There’s a beeping of machines-- the beating of her heart ringing up in her ears. “...How have you been enjoying class? I mean… aside from the whole assassination element? Is Korosensei a good teacher?”

“Yeah,” Akari says. “I mean he’s fine, whatever.” She pauses. “My grades have been improving.” 

“That’s good,” Aguri says. “Pretty impressive, too. You were always a smart girl, so even  _ better  _ grades is just  _ awesome.” _

Akari looks embarrassed. That... and uneasy. Aguri thinks she feels a little uneasy, too, thinking about it. They’re talking the way they used to talk-- like nothing has changed, but there’s none of the warmth involved. It’s not like Akari can return the small talk-- ask Aguri how  _ her  _ last few months have been… and try as she may just to not, she still ends up staring.

It’s not a scared sort of stare. At least… Aguri doesn’t think so. And she’s relieved about that much, but it still makes her sad. Akari looks so weary... so mad… so relieved _ and in disbelief _ all at once. Almost like she’s still having trouble processing that Aguri’s there. And it’s the kind of thing that gives Aguri pause.

...Quite frankly, she’s surprised Akari can bear to look at her at all.

She still remembers what Yanagisawa said. About Akari being afraid of her… about her being a shame to her family, and about all of this just  _ solidifying _ it. She was so sure that when Akari saw her in the light of the morning she wouldn’t help but flinch back. But Akari doesn’t retreat from her. Akari doesn’t run. She simply continues to stare at her with those worn, woeful eyes.

(And in some ways, that’s worse.

Just how much damage did her absence-- her  _ screw up  _ do to the one person who’d ever dared to depend on her?)

Aguri finishes up her pancake. She starts to slide her plate to the side, but Akari asks if she wants the last one.

“We’ve still got one extra,” she says. “You want it? Or should I finish it off?”

Aguri pauses. She’s still a little hungry… and  _ terribly  _ lightheaded, even after getting something on her stomach, but she wouldn’t want to overstep any boundaries. She’d just feel  _ selfish  _ if she dared to ask for a fourth-- and besides, she seems to recall reading horror stories about eating too much after your stomach’s shrunk, anyways.

“You can have it,” she says, content to stay hungry. Akari needs it more than she does-- and something tells her that a meal won’t be able to help much more with her lightheadedness, anyways.

“Alright,” Akari responds. “Just thought I’d ask.”

And with that, she reaches out for the final pancake.

...The three of them sit in silence.

Pretty much as soon as Akari’s done Korosensei stands. He says it’s probably about time they should get going. 

“It’s almost eight. And we wouldn’t want to be too late. We should head out. Kayano, replace your bandages real quick and get dressed. Then we can make our departure.”

Akari nods, hurrying to her feet. She limps into the other room, leg dragging just a bit behind her. Aguri considers trying to help, but she struggles to her feet herself… and by the time Korosensei’s got her up, Akari’s already returned.

“Let’s go,” she says, fresh bandages applied and a new school uniform donned. “I didn’t want to waste too much time.”

Aguri’s only noticing it now, but it suddenly  _ hits  _ her just how disheveled what Akari’d been wearing up until now had been. It’d been singed for sure… and had there been blood stains? Jesus Christ, she can’t believe she sent Akari to bed in that.

(What kind of sister  _ is  _ she?)

Still, not wanting to worry her, she hurries Akari’s way. And as Korosensei unlatches the door, the three of them… hesitantly, step outside.

It’s a weird experience seeing the outside world again. Aguri seems to recall being a bit overwhelmed by it last night, but it’s even crazier in the morning. Her eyes blur-- struggling to adjust to the sunlight, and as she feels the warm breeze on her face she freezes, breath hitched.

Birds are chirping somewhere not that far from here. A telephone rings-- unfettered-- from inside of a nearby house. A leaf flutters to the ground.

“Hey,” Korosensei says, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. Take your time. I know this must be a lot to take in.”

Nodding, Aguri struggles down the steps. She doesn’t remember how she made the trip up last night, but then again she doesn’t remember most things. She simply allows Akari and Korosensei to support her… easing her down the small set of stairs until she’s safely at the bottom.

From there she allows the two of them to take the lead. It’s not like  _ she  _ knows where the school is. Even so, they’re careful to hang back-- support her. And when she stops, they stop, too.

Making her way across the pavement is weird. She could handle the texture from inside of her house… but the sidewalk is much more rough. It doesn’t break her skin-- she doesn’t think it could even if she fell, but all the same, she feels relatively barefoot… and thinking about it, she supposes she  _ is.  _

She hadn’t even thought about how she wasn’t going to be able to wear shoes anymore until now.

’...There are going to be a lot more conclusions like that, aren’t there?’ she thinks, feeling the sun beat down on the back of her neck. Some part of her wants to be scared, but she thinks she mostly just doesn’t feel anything at all.

Akari’s still limping. She’s trying to pretend it’s not serious, but even an actress like her can’t hide something of that caliber. She bites her lip, uncertain, and looks frustrated as she shakes her head and picks up the pace.

Aguri hopes that she’ll be alright. Korosensei said that it didn’t seem to be anything major, but Akari being hurt at all still makes her worry. She can’t believe she went through all of that for  _ her. _

_ ( _ **_“I’LL KILL YOU._ ** _ I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU, DO YOU HEAR ME!? I’LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY SISTER! _

She hadn’t stopped fighting back, even long after she’d been hurt.)

She’ll have to make it up to Akari, she thinks. Before all of this is over. She’ll have to tell her that she appreciates it: so much care being dedicated to someone like her.

She’s not sure how much it’ll fix: Akari looks so sad, glancing back over her shoulder every so often just to meet Aguri’s eye. Aguri’s pretty sure there are some things that can never be made up for... but she’d feel like a shitty person if she didn’t at least  _ try. _

She… doesn’t want anyone to suffer because of her. At least not anymore than they already have. 

They look so tired now. They’re trying to hide it-- look supportive, but there’s only so much they can do. Aguri wonders if they looked happier before all of this. Before her.

And briefly-- some part of her… just the smallest piece, wonders if they’d have been better off if she just hadn’t returned at all.

Because sure, she’s relieved to be here in some way. But it’s more than clear she’d have been better off dead. That her legacy would have lived on in a kinder way. And forcing the people she loves to confront her like  _ this? _

...Well, she just feels selfish.

And she’ll feel even more selfish when, inevitably, Yanagisawa or the government or someone else entirely comes to take away… putting all of this effort to waste.

Still, she doesn’t voice it. She wouldn’t want to make them look any sadder than they already are.

And as such, they simply make their way to the school quietly… easing each other to their feet along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! New chapter!
> 
> I started it off with a scene from Korosensei and Akari's perspectives. Mostly because I wanted to demonstrate just how emotional this is for Akari even if that won't show a lot from Aguri's perspective (Akari IS trying to be strong, after all.) She is so, SO relieved to have her sister home.
> 
> Her relationship with Korosensei is starting to improve a little bit, too, but she won't be able to trust him completely until the whole story's out in the open.
> 
> I decided to have Korosensei fix up a few of Aguri's shirts! He wanted something small to make her smile, even if it was inconsequential. And she appreciates it, really.
> 
> Of course he's not ALL thoughtful gentleman, though. I had lots of fun writing him being as childish and needy as ever there at the start of breakfast.
> 
> In contrast to Aguri who had an... almost spiritual experience. I wanted to showcase just how shocked she is at experiencing something simple like that again. She didn't even realize just how much she missed it until she had it back in her hands. There are going to be a lot of things like that... appreciating the small stuff in life.
> 
> Overall this was mostly just an atmospheric, moody sort of chapter. I wanted to establish how Aguri's feeling now that it's morning and how the people closest to her are reacting to her reappearance. Next chapter a lot more will happen-- Aguri meeting Irina and Karasuma among other things... but for now I hope you enjoyed the small moments.
> 
> The next chapter will be up in two weeks. Sorry, again, for the wait, but some of these chapters have been getting LONG. 
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were Twilight Town from Kingdom Hearts, New Normal by Jack Stauber, Done Bleeding and In League WIth Dragons, by The Mountain Goats, and To See You Alive by Flatsound.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed! Make sure to let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon! :D


	11. Back To Class Time

The atmosphere is weird as the three of them arrive. Korosensei leads Aguri and Akari into the building, ducking in under the doorway as he does. Aguri does the same-- just barely able to avoid smacking her head.

There’s this uncomfortable, troubling sort of feeling in her chest as she takes a look around. She swears she recognizes the faint scent of sawdust, but when she gazes down the worn-down halls she’s in an unfamiliar place.

They hurry to the classroom. There, the students are waiting for them, huddled in an anxious sort of crowd.

...They look like they’ve been waiting for a while now.

“You’re here!” One shouts, giving a wave.

“We were beginning to worry you’d never show up.”

“If you’d been even ten minutes later we would have had the legal right to ditch, y’know.”

A few kids snicker at the halfhearted joke, but their focus is undeniably locked on Aguri. Frowning, they say 

“I see Yukimura-sensei is here, too.”

“How was last night?”

“Is everything alright?”

“And what about Kayano?” A bespectacled girl asks. “Are you feeling any better?”

“You’ve still got a lot to explain to us,” a blond boy says. “All three of you. What was  _ with  _ that?”

Aguri blinks, head starting to spin. They’re being relatively polite… not talking over each other or anything, but their voices still pierce her mind. Their questions are a lot to take in, especially all at once.

Dizzy and overwhelmed, she staggers back.

Korosensei reaches a hand out, preventing her from stumbling back over onto the ground. Then, looking over at the students, he says.

“All will be explained with time. But please, first allow Aguri to take a seat. I’m sure she’s a little more than overwhelmed right now.”

And instantly, the students quiet down.

“Of… course,” one says, stepping back. “Sorry.”

“No need,” Korosensei replies. “You’ve done nothing wrong. We’ve just got to take things one step at a time right now.”

And with that, he leads Aguri over to the teacher’s desk. There, he pulls out a swivel chair and helps her ease herself down onto it.

“Be careful,” he says. “Yes. Just like that.”

The students don’t talk, but they certainly stare. Aguri can feel their concerned gaze on the back of her neck. She turns around to face them, but most don’t meet her eye.

Some are looking at Akari… shifting uncomfortably. Others are sending a sideways glance towards Korosensei. But the majority have their eyes pointed just slightly to the left or right of her… trying to take her in, but too polite to look directly.

There’s this guilty glint to their eyes-- like they feel they’ve done something wrong. The thought makes Aguri sad. Confronting them with her presence at all makes her feel sad. Maybe she shouldn’t have come here in the first place.

Korosensei speaks before she can think it through too much further. Stepping away from her side, he asks:

“Are Irina and Karasuma-sensei here? I’d like them to be present while we discuss.”

“I… dunno,” one of the students replies. “I’ve been trying to get in contact with them, but--”

“I don’t think they’re in the building.”

“Being late isn’t like Karasuma-sensei.”

“Do you think something’s wrong?”

“Oh, I sincerely doubt that,” Korosensei reassures. “They’ve just probably been informed about what’s going on and are making preparations as necessary.”

“Without us telling them?”

“Well, it’s likely  _ some  _ of what happened was reported to the government.”

Aguri spaces out. Ears ringing, she stops making out what the students are saying. Instead, she simply stares at them… eyes half-lidded.

They look so familiar, and yet like strangers. She’s still struggling to recall their names. It makes her feel bad. These were people who were depending on her, weren’t they?

Akari takes a step closer, but she only half notices. She’s too focused on the classroom. The atmosphere of that is weird, too.

She… knows she’s been here before. It looks exactly the same as it did before she left. And yet there’s something irrevocably different. What is it? Was… was something just moved? Or… is it something more? What’s with the strange black box in the back of the room. Was that always there?

She’s entirely fixated on a nearby bookcase when the door flies open with a shout.

_ “WHAT DID YOU  _ **_DO!?”_ **

Her whole body goes stiff. A  _ slam  _ resounds throughout the classroom. Eyes wide-- breath a gasp… Aguri doesn’t even bother to look towards the doorway. Instead, fast as she can, she  _ lunges  _ from her seat and ducks behind Korosensei. She covers her head with her hands and braces-- panicked-- for the inevitable.

It doesn’t come. Korosensei tenses, slightly… but relaxes just as soon. Holding a hand out in front of him, he says “...Ah, Karasuma-sensei. It’s just you. You scared me for a second there.”

“No,” the man replies. “We’re not doing this today.”

His footsteps are a cacophony as he storms across the room. Drawing in closer and closer, he speaks up in an angry voice.

“Usually I try to accommodate whatever  _ nonsense  _ you’re up to. But I got the report from my supervisors.” He growls, pulling Korosensei in by the tie.  **_“Is it really true you stole a bunch of government supplies last night!?_ ** And did you seriously bring the  **_students_ ** along!?”

His outrage is palpable. Voice trembling, he demands an explanation.

And Aguri  _ dreads  _ him getting one. Something tells her she is in a  **_lot_ ** of danger the moment this person finds out she exists.

“Yes,” Korosensei says, surprisingly composed. “I did bring the students along. That said, however, none of them were seriously injured. And even more importantly…” he pauses. “‘Supplies’ isn’t exactly the right word for what I took.”

With that, he steps just slightly to the side. Carefully holding a hand out, he says “Karasuma: meet Aguri. Aguri: meet Karasuma.”

Aguri suddenly feels horribly defenseless. Betrayed and alone-- every cell in her body  _ screams  _ for her to run, but it’s too late. The man’s already seen her. And so instead, she settles for flinching back.

To her surprise, he flinches, too.

**_“...WHAT!?”_ **

Aguri can barely bring herself to look, but when she forces her gaze up towards the stranger she locks eyes with a frightening looking and formally dressed black-haired man. He stares down at her with a stunned expression-- the sheer disbelief painted plainly across his face. 

_ “Karasuma: meet Aguri. Aguri: meet Karasuma,” _ Korosensei repeats. “Karasuma-sensei here is a coworker of mine,” he explains. “And  _ Aguri  _ is in no way supplies.  _ She  _ is what we stole last night. We in no way intended to harm anyone-- but when we learned that Shiro was keeping an innocent person hostage we had to do  _ something.  _ I hope that the government will be able to understand.”

“Person… hostage,” Karasuma murmurs, staring down at Aguri. The cogs in his brain seem to be churning a thousand miles a minute.

“Person hostage,” Korosensei reiterates. “She’s been there for the past five months.”

“And so… she’s like you.” 

Karasuma wastes no time. He  _ whirls  _ around, freeing Aguri of his petrifying gaze… and  _ instantly,  _ he storms back towards the door.

“Excuse me. I’ve got some people to get in contact with.”

Korosensei doesn’t let him. Moving at supersonic speed, he  _ flies  _ over to the doorway, blockading Karasuma with his body.

“Wait just one moment,” he says. “I understand that you’re panicked, but I’d  _ strongly  _ prefer to explain what happened to the class as a whole. Can you wait for Irina to arrive and for me to share my side of the story before you leave? It’s not something I think I’m capable of saying twice.”

Karasuma freezes up. Aguri can’t make out his expression, but she watches his posture tense and his hand slowly drift down towards his pocket. He reaches into it and makes a swing in a single swift motion-- blade cutting the air.

It doesn’t strike Korosensei, of course. He dodges out of the way, equally as swift. All the same, he removes himself from the doorframe, letting out a slightly panicked squeak.

“I’d prefer  _ you  _ don’t barricade me,” Karasuma replies, thoroughly unamused. “It's my job to take care of these sorts of matters.  _ Why on earth didn’t you inform me last night?” _

“It was a very stressful situation! You have to understand! By the time we were out of there we-”

**_“You should have gotten in contact with me before going in there at all!”_ **

Aguri flinches. Karasuma’s attention is entirely diverted from her, but all the same his tone sends shivers down her spine. Akari must notice just how unsettled she is, because she hurries to Aguri’s side... filling the space that Korosensei’d left open.

“Don’t worry,” she whispers. “That’s just Karasuma. He won’t really hurt you. He’s just… anal.” Her expression hardens as he continues to yell. “That,  _ and annoying.” _

She takes a step forward, still mindful to not leave Aguri’s side. She cups her mouth with her hands and speaks up, voice a yell.

“Hey!  **_Shut up already!”_ ** She says. “Can’t you see you’re scaring her!?”

Now  _ that  _ earns Korosensei and Karasuma’s attention.

“Leave or don’t leave-- I don’t really care. But stop fucking  _ fighting.  _ She just got out of an insanely traumatic experience, and if you don’t cut the crap I’m gonna have to cut  _ you.  _ This is  _ childish!” _

She’s trembling with rage. Aguri reaches out to comfort her, some of her own fear fading, but she doesn’t get the chance. Korosensei speaks up before she can.

“...Kayano’s… right,” he says. “This is not the time or place for this. All the same: I’m asking you as a friend to just hear me out. Wait until Irina arrives and then I’ll tell you everything. You’ll have a much better story to report to your supervisors that way, anyways. Right now you’re going off of bare-bones information. Sit down. Take a breath. It will all make sense in time.”

Karasuma’s fist clenches and unclenches, but all the same, he sits down. Arms firmly crossed, he says “Very well then,” but he hardly seems swayed by Korosensei’s words. It’s  _ Akari  _ he’s staring at like a deer in the headlights: not afraid, but utterly confused.

“I expect the full truth. And if it comes out that any of the students were injured then I will see through to it that you are punished appropriately.”

“Of… course,” Korosensei replies, face paling slightly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The students exchange a quiet glance… but their focus quickly shifts from Korosensei. Most of them have their eyes locked on Akari. They’re skeptical... angry, even- in regards to her sudden outburst.

‘Oh,’ they seem to think, silently. ‘And so you really  _ are  _ like that.’

...None of them speak.

“Thank you for your understanding, Karasuma-sensei,” Korosensei says with a bow. “I promise I won’t let you down. And I’m sure Irina-sensei will arrive at any moment.” He straightens himself up. “Why don’t the two of you introduce yourselves in the meantime? It doesn’t have to be anything formal, but your names, at least, would be good.”

And with that, Karasuma’s gaze returns to Aguri. Those frightening eyes make their way towards her, and she feels her blood run cold. Suddenly-- it’s like she needs to defend herself…  _ justify  _ why she’s allowed to be here at all.

“I- I can go first,” she says. “I mean, I suppose it’s only fair. You must be wondering a lot about why I…- who I’m supposed to--  _ nevermind.  _ What I’m trying to say is- ah-- I’m- I’m Aguri Yukimura. I’m 25 years old and I teach…- taught - here at this school. My baby sister is…-” she drifts off. “Well, you probably don’t care about any of that.”

“Sorry,” she says, heart catching in her throat. “You can- you can go now. Ignore me.”

She feels her cheeks flush. Humiliated and mortified, she realizes she’d just been repeating her mantra. What is  _ wrong  _ with her? And does she not… not remember the name of the school? Is she even 25? Or has her birthday passed? What… what day is it again? Oh god. Oh  _ god. _

Karasuma gives her a long, incredulous look. And when he finally responds, it’s in a blank tone.

“...Karasuma,” he says. “Tadaomi Karasuma. Worker under the Ministry of Defense.”

He doesn’t hold his hand out for so much as a handshake. Then again, Aguri’s not sure she’d take the offer even if he  _ did. _

It’s not long after they’ve acquainted themselves that a blonde woman finally comes parading in through the door. Her gaze locked firmly on Kararuma, she groans, cups her hands and shouts:

“I thought I told you to wait up for me! My feet are  _ sensitive!” _

“I had more important things to worry about at the moment,” Karasuma responds, rubbing at his temple.

“Yeah. Yeah.  _ I know,” _ the woman dismissively says, giving a huff. “You had to cuss out the octopus. How’d that go, anyways? Don’t tell me I missed all of it. That’s half of the entertainment I  _ have.”  _ She pauses. “What’d he even do, anyways? Indecent exposure for the third time this week? Or did he just-...” she drifts off, eyes drifting Aguri’s way, and then going wide. “The  _ shit?” _

Aguri flinches slightly, startled by the sudden attention... but she tries her best to divert any conversation before it can really start.

“Uh… hi,” she says, giving an awkward wave. “I’m Aguri Yukim-”

**_“I wasn’t told there was another target!”_ ** The woman interrupts, jabbing an accusatory finger Karasuma’s way.

_ “NEITHER WAS I!” _ He hisses, clutching at his forehead. **_“This is a bit new to all of us!”_ **

“Now, now:” Korosensei says, stepping between them. “Aguri isn’t a target. Please: allow me to explain. I’ve been waiting for you, Miss Irina. You may want to sit down. This is going to be a long story.”

Irina hesitates, but does as told. Cupping her cheek in her hand, she grumbles something about wanting to be paid extra if she does double the work and makes her way over to a stray seat.

Karasuma does the same. Careful to seat himself far from her, he plops down and crosses his arms.

“Alright,” he says. “Then it’s about time you start talking.”

“I’ll explain everything I need to as well,” Akari says, stepping up to the blackboard beside Korosensei. “I never wanted to share any of this, but if it’ll make the story easier for Aguri to understand then so be it.”

Karasuma cocks an eyebrow, stumped, but all around unamused. ‘Irina,’ on the other hand, seems more curious. She stares at Korosensei with hungry, arrogant eyes… more than ready to eat up whatever gossip they throw her way.

Looking at her closer, she’s clearly foreign. She speaks with an accent, and her skin’s a ghost white. Nevertheless, she’s clearly a beautiful young woman… and perhaps even _ eager  _ to show it off. She’s in surprisingly revealing clothes for the setting she’s in.

Aguri doesn’t get too much time to dissect her. Korosensei motions for her to join the two of them. Aguri gives pause… hesitant to be seen anymore than she already has, but then again she has a feeling that all eyes will be on her either way. She joins him and Akari in the center of the class… giving another awkward wave as he steps up and begins to explain.

“This is Aguri. She’s a friend of mine from a very long time ago. And up until recently I thought she was dead.”

She zones out through most of his story. She doesn’t mean to. She tries her best to pay attention: she really does, but she’s far more focused on the sensation of all eyes on her… and something tells her this is a story she’s already mostly heard, anyways.

A story about a selfish, miserable assassin... and an inhumane experiment. 

It’s the sort of story that makes the students’ eyes go wide. But as he talks about befriending Aguri and the way she gave him a new lease on life their expressions go sad. They can all see what’s coming next. All the same… even  _ Aguri  _ frowns as he describes her death.

(As he describes laying her to rest and setting out, heartbroken, to fulfil her last wish.)

Akari goes next. She talks about  _ her  _ side of the story… what horrible things she saw at the lab that night, and the news of Aguri’s demise. She describes how it devastated her… but how that devastation quickly turned to rage. How she implanted herself with tentacles, and how she enrolled in the class, hidden, to make Korosensei pay for what she’d believed he’d done.

(How, while Aguri was suffering, her sister’d been suffering the same.)

The thought makes her sick. It’s devastating enough that she’d already had to go through what she did… but Akari suffering, too, while she did? It’s incomprehensible. Not only had she been unable to protect her sister… but her stupidity- her recklessness is what had ended up putting her in so much danger in the first place.

(She remembers just how  _ warm  _ Akari had felt last night.

...She could have  **_died.)_ **

They ask her if she’d like to speak next… say she’s the last side of the story, but Aguri feels a lump in her throat. She remembers the anger that Akari described… the  _ heartbreak  _ that Korosensei somehow dedicated himself to. She stares across the classroom at a set of 28 terrified eyes… avoids the way that Karasuma and Irina look at her and decides that she can’t--  _ doesn’t  _ want to share.

She  _ won’t  _ remember how that felt.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable doing so,” Korosensei reiterates, noting her silence. “It would be nice to hear what happened, of course… but I understand if you’re not ready for that. You’ve been through a lot, and the last thing I’d want is to force you to relive that.”

“Mmm,” Aguri replies, awkwardly fiddling with her hands. “That would… be appreciated. I don’t think I’d give a very good story, anyways.” She pauses. “...Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Korosensei responds. “I’m sure Kayano and I have already painted enough of a picture. Ultimately, you don’t need to share what happened. All the students need to know is that you are indeed their previous teacher, and that you were taken in in the same way that I was.”

‘Taken in,’ he says like it’s some sort of euphemism. He doesn’t even know the half of it. She feels guilty not even saying why Yanagisawa turned on her, but she simply can’t will herself. If Korosensei learned that he did this to her because she refused to hurt him then he might blame himself. That, or Akari might start hating him again. That’s the  _ last  _ thing she’d want.

(And besides, she’s the only person here worth hating, isn’t she? This was coming for her, anyways. Even if Yanagisawa hadn’t gotten mad at her over that it would have been something else. She’s annoying! Of course she brought him to the end of his rope.)

Thankfully, the students don’t seem to push. Murmuring amongst themselves, they look shocked and horrified.

“That’s… that’s terrible,” a black-haired girl murmurs, covering her mouth with her hands.

“And so you mean that’s where you were all this time?”

“Principal Asano told us that you quit.”

“I can’t believe that Korosensei was also a person...”

“He’s always been really silly and vague about his past.”

“But that sounds terrible!”

“I can’t believe that he was an assassin!” 

“And that Kayano-chan was suffering all of this time…”

Their uneasiness is palpable. They’re staring at Aguri more now… some even unable to look away. Others are honed in on Korosensei: dismayed, sympathetic, and betrayed all at once. ‘Irina’ and ‘Karasuma’ shift in their seats. Karasuma reaches out for his phone and types something down at lightning-fast speed. Little beads of sweat are dripping down his forehead.

But of all the people in the class, it’s  _ Nagisa  _ who says what they’re really all thinking.

“...Does this mean that we’re gonna have to assassinate Yukimura-sensei, too?” 

Akari bolts forward in an instant. Voice shaking with rage, she says “Of course fucking not!”’

Nagisa jumps, eyes wide. Holding his hands up in front of him he says “That-- that wasn’t an endorsement, for the record. I suppose I’m just… worried.”

“I mean… we couldn’t even, right?” The bespectacled girl replies. “She’s just a person.”

“But so is Korosensei,” An orange haired girl replies. “I mean…  _ what have we even been doing?” _

“We just didn’t know up until now!”

“Why on earth didn’t he tell us sooner!?”

“...Oh gosh. I think I’m going to be sick.”

A low, uncomfortable murmur rings out across the class. Some students cover their face with their hands. Others, ashamed, look away. But a final small group looks more resolute than anything. And as a red-haired boy near the back of class kicks his seat back, he asks.

“Do we even have a choice?”

“‘Scuse me?”

_ “Do we even have a choice?”  _ He reiterates. “I’m not sure how many of you were listening-- but Korosensei  _ just  _ said he didn’t actually blow up the moon. He said that a mouse did. Whether we kill him or not he’s dead meat either way. And she’s probably the same. If we don’t take them out, then it could be  _ us  _ that die.”

“That’s… that’s so callous!”

“He’s right though, isn’t he!?”

“She didn’t ask for any of this!”

“And neither did we!”

_ “I don’t want to have to kill an innocent person!” _

**_“And I don’t want to have to die!”_ **

_ “Class,”  _ Korosensei says, raising a finger. “While you’re right about the inevitability of my impending doom… I implore you not to argue about it. I already accepted my fate months ago. And as sad as it is… the happiest way I could possibly go is being taken out by you all. Do not let my departure cause discord among you.” 

“Then… as for Aguri, it’s too early to discuss such things. She just got out of her entrapment. It is entirely possible her situation could be different from mine. Please, do not panic. This is something we as a class and the government still need to discuss before we come to any definitive conclusions.”

At the mention of the government they all look back at Karasuma. But when he doesn’t look up at them their heads shoot back towards Korosensei… and then towards Aguri. Their eyes plead for some sort of answer… and Aguri feels  _ terrible  _ putting this weight on them. They’re facing an uncertain future, aren’t they? And it’s one that  _ she  _ brought upon them. They were having  _ fun  _ before she arrived. But her escape… it brought terrible things to light, and suddenly they’re panicked.

“Can I… borrow one of your knives?”

“P… pardon!?”

“Sitting on your desks,” she specifies, pointing. “They’re ‘anti-sensei,’ right? Karasuma tried to use one on Korosensei earlier. I’d like to borrow one for just a second. I have… um-- a disclaimer to make..."

“Well… just be careful, okay?” A black-haired boy says, hesitantly holding out his plastic green blade. “This’ll probably really hurt you to touch.”

But to his surprise, she takes the weapon without issue.

“This… thing you’re discussing may be pretty hard, actually.”

The students stare as if waiting for something to happen. Slowly, Karasuma’s head finally perks up- and his brows furrow, skeptical… but even so, Aguri doesn’t twitch. Holding the blade up, she says.

“Killing me may very well not be possible. My… ex-fiance discovered that when he was still experimenting on me. Almost nothing can hurt me.” 

She presses the blade to a tentacle, but it’s only with heavy pressure that it actually starts to buckle. The hard-pressed cut only leaves so much as a small scratch… one that  _ quickly  _ starts to heal.

(She doesn’t feel the pain at all)

“Are you… are you sure that’s not a dud?” Another student asks, holding up their own knife. “Here! Try mine!”

But it earns the same result. Aguri, again, takes the weapon It can barely even scathe her.

“Woah…” the students whisper, eyes wide.

Some seem thankful... like she’s alleviated the pressure ever-building up on their shoulders. But others seem scared - and some, just confused.

“...Korosensei was never able to do anything like that.”

“And so that means that… she’s stronger?”

“No! She’s invincible!”

Even Korosensei doesn’t look like he quite knows what to think. Staring straight at her, he urges her to place the knife down.

“You’ve more than made your point. I believe there’s no reason to injure yourself further.”

Karasuma’s reaction, on the other hand, is much less calm. He bolts to his feet and says that he needs to go.  **_Now._ **

“I’ve got to get in contact with my supervisors immediately,” he whispers, shouldering past desks. “Excuse me.”

This time Korosensei doesn’t attempt to stop him. He simply gives him a nod and reassures “Do what you must.”

There’s this look of panic penciled on his face as he leaves. Eyes wide, shoulders tense... his body's rigid with stress.

Aguri bites her lip. She thinks she feels bad. Sure, Karasuma wasn’t very nice to her, but he was probably just doing his job. She hopes she hasn’t scared him too badly. She didn’t  _ mean  _ to stress him out… he’d have found out one way or another soon enough, but all the same, she just made his job a  _ lot _ harder, didn’t she?

(A  _ monster  _ appearing at his doorstep, and an undefeatable one, at that: heralding the end of the world in one year.

...And far worse than Korosensei  _ ever  _ could.)

Still, she doesn’t regret it. She’d feel bad not being honest from the start, and again: it was kind of inevitable he found out, anyways. She just hopes this was able to ease some of the anxiety for the students. If she’s going to die, then it won’t be by their hands.

(At least… she hopes not.)

Some part of her-- blankly, wonders if she should have revealed her one true weakness to Karasuma… but the thought makes her sick. She’d barely even remembered it until now-- what her body does when she’s struck, and… she doesn’t think it’s something she’s capable of sharing-- not even with Korosensei. Imagining sharing it with Karasuma: the man who had shouted at her just now… it’s unfathomable.

She hopes that doesn’t make her selfish. She hopes that doesn’t mean she’s putting the world in danger. She’s sure she’ll be dead by the end of the year, either way. That’s just the one way she doesn’t want to go.

Korosensei must notice her staring at the doorway, because he places a hand on her shoulder. She jolts, slightly, at the touch… but relaxes just as soon as she hears him speak.

“Don’t mind him,” he says. “He’s just got a lot to discuss at the moment. I’m sure he’ll warm up to you as things become more clear with time.”

“...Now,” he continues, turning to the students. “I hope you all can calm down as well. While I’m sure this is very stressful I’m also sure you can see that the situation is a lot more nuanced than any of us can comprehend. Let’s not jump to conclusions until Karasuma’s had a chance to have his say.”

Slowly, the students nod. Aguri still feels weird, especially having her life in that guy’s hands... but she reminds herself that if Korosensei trusts him he’s probably a good person. And besides... what she’s trusting him with isn’t so much as her life, but rather her  _ sentence. _

“For now, we should try to return to our usual schedule,” Korosensei says. “Of course… it’s unprecedented, but there’s no telling how long Karasuma-sensei could take. You’ve still all got an education to worry about. Why don’t we start on your morning math work? Show Yukimura-sensei just how skilled you’ve become?”

There’s a halfhearted murmur. Some of the students even start to move-- pulling books from their desks. But another stands, raising a hand.

“Oi. We’re still forgetting something, aren’t we?” He asks, pointing a finger at Akari. “We’ve got to talk about last night.”

“Oh  _ shit,”  _ another student replies, shaking her head. “You’re completely right. I forgot!”

“Sugino! Yada! How are you feeling?”

“And  _ Kayano… _ how are _ you _ off tentacles?”

Every eye in the room is locked on Akari. She seems intimidated for a second, stepping back towards Aguri… but soon regains her composure. Straightening herself up, she returns to that same cross, bitter demeanor.

“Fine,” she says curtly. “I’m fine.”

“Us too,” A boy says, raising a hand. “Or at least I am. Yada?”

“Yep,” 'Yada' replies. “Me too. Korosensei fixed me up good as new. Can’t even tell I was hurt.”

“Well… that’s good,” Korosensei replies. “But I was not even aware you all wanted to talk about this at the moment. Why didn’t you bring it up in front of Karasuma?”

“Bring _ what _ up?” a snide voice asks.

And every student jumps… at least until they realize it’s not Karasuma speaking. They shoot the blonde woman at the back of class an unamused look, saying: 

“It’s really none of your business.”

“Yeah. This is actually something kind of personal, Bitch-sensei.”

“Why don’t you just… like… go out there and hound him? You know you kinda want to."

“Give us some privacy for once.”

It’s alarmingly aggressive. The kids don’t sound particularly  _ malicious-  _ but ‘Bitch-sensei?’ Aguri’s stunned. They never even talked to  _ her  _ that way! Is that really the way they’re okay with behaving in front of this new teacher?

“Thanks… but no thanks,” Irina responds, observing her nails and rolling her eyes. “Karasuma's a hot piece of ass, but even  _ I’m  _ not keen on listening to a lecture… much less doing it to be your  _ distraction.  _ What are you little shits really up to? And why on earth don’t you want him to know?”

Aguri’s… actually curious about the same thing. Do they not intend to tell him about what happened to Akari? That sounds hard to hide. And what reason do they have? Do  _ they  _ not trust him, either?

“Like we’re gonna tell you,” A blond-haired boy sneers. “You’re a snitch.”

“Yeah. You  _ do  _ love to gossip…” Another girl murmurs.

“Sorry, Bitch-sensei, but this maybe isn’t the best time for--”

**_“Do you hear this!?”_ ** Irina interrupts, throwing her hands in the air. “I can’t believe they don’t trust me! I am  _ great  _ at lying! Octopus! Tell them how  **_not_ ** a snitch I am!”

“Well…” Korosensei replies, sheepish. “I’m not sure I should take any stance on that matter, but… that said, however: if you agree not to tell Karasuma then I believe we have every reason to believe your word. You are many things, Irina-sensei… but complacent is none of them.”

“Exactly,” Irina says with a satisfied huff. “So let me in on the deets. I won’t share: I swear. I’m the  **_cool_ ** teacher, remember?”

That earns a hesitant murmur, but nevertheless, the rest of the class continues to speak up.

“Alright. Alright,” the first boy says, glowering. “Whatever. If it’ll shut you up then, yeah, sure. You can stay. We don’t exactly have time to waste. But as for the story, it’s a lot less fun than you’re anticipating. Turns out two of us got  _ shot  _ last night during our little rescue.”

“Wait. Seriously?” Irina asks.  **_“Holy shit!”_ **

Aguri stares. ‘Shot?’ she thinks, stunned. She remembers hearing gunshots last night…  _ but she wasn’t aware that-- _

“Holy shit indeed,” another boy replies, pushing up his glasses. “And then for why no-one shared earlier... I believe I have a guess. Namely that our ‘beef’ is  _ not  _ with you, Korosensei.”

“Yeah,” An orange-haired girl says. “...Exactly. Pretty much everything that could have gone wrong about that went wrong, but… it wasn’t really  _ your  _ fault.”

“It was  _ hers,”  _ the first boy says, finger still trained firmly on Akari.

“And Karasuma-sensei wasn’t gonna be able to punish her for that. He’s only got holding power over _ you. _ But we didn’t want that.”

“You heard what he said… about getting you in trouble if any of us got hurt,” the blond boy admits. “You could have lost your job.”

_ “And because of someone else’s mistake.” _

Akari’s fist is clenched. A dark look on her face, her lips draw back into a snarl. Shaking with rage, she says “For the last time,  _ it wasn’t a mistake.  _ I did what Korosensei wouldn’t. And without me, my sister wouldn’t even be standing in the classroom right n-”

“Woah,” Korosensei says. “Let’s slow down. I understand that you’re all angry, but now’s not the time to mindlessly argue. Please: go about this calmly. Use ‘I’ statements. And don’t gang up on each other.” He looks out over the classroom. “While we all made mistakes, I’m sure we’re all sorry, as well.”

“Why don’t we start with letting the students who were shot speak?” He continues. “Then, we can progress from there. Remember: there’s no need to shout over each other. As irresponsible as Kayano’s actions were, they were coming from a place of hurt… and I know it’s not too late for us to find an understanding.”

“Oh,” Sugino says, jolting. “You’re asking us?”

“I… feel pretty fine, actually,” Yada murmurs, curling her hair with her finger. “All of this attention is flattering-- but also kind of weird.” She gives an awkward laugh. “I mean… I’m not even that mad or anything.”

“Yeah. Maybe it’s just because the effects weren’t too permanent or whatever… but I didn’t really feel  _ angry  _ at Kayano for what happened,” Sugino agrees. “Just… scared. And I dunno how much of that was because I was put in danger or just because she was acting so out of it. That’s not how Kayano  _ usually  _ behaves… I know  _ that  _ for certain.”

“Really?” The first boy asks. “You sure? Because  **_I_ ** think she’s still acting pretty the same right now. Listen to her!”

“Terasaka,” Korosensei warns. “One person at a time.”

Sugino flinches back a little. Looking… meek, but ultimately willing to stand up for himself, he says “I don’t appreciate having words put in my mouth.”

“Yeah, Terasaka,” Yada says. “It’s kind of weird that you’re getting so worked up over this. You’re not even the one who got  _ shot.” _

“Well for  _ one  _ I still got pretty injured,” Terasaka argues.

“And  _ any  _ of us could have gotten shot,” a tough-looking boy points out. “It’s not like Kayano singled you out. She put  _ all  _ of us in danger. And that’s pretty fucked.”

“Yeah. Just because  _ you’re  _ not mad doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be. All of us were put in danger.”

“And so what do you want us to do!?” A stern-looking girl shouts. “Just kick her out of class!?”

“Woah!” Nagisa says, slamming his palm down on the table. “We are not doing that!”

“And especially not like this!” the bespectacled girl shouts, covering her hands with her face. “Stop shouting!” 

“Students!” Korosensei insists, voice firm. “Beha-”

**_“I’m saying I want an apology!”_ **

“To who!? A bunch of people who aren’t even mad at me!? Or to you!?” Akari glares. “Don’t make me laugh! I’m not going to apologize for prioritizing my family over a bunch of strangers!”

“Woah! Woah! Woah!”

**_“STRANGERS!?”_ **

Terasaka’s pushed his chair to the side. Taken aback, a few students stare. One black-haired girl shakes her head… and even Irina’s stopped looking amused. All  _ hell  _ has broken out.

As voices rise Aguri’s head starts to spin. She can barely catch her breath. Some part of her is tempted to reach out and protect Akari— but another is horrified by her behavior. That’s not the Akari she knows. There’s no way she’d say such a thing to people who trusted her.  _ Unless… _ her ‘death’ really turned her into such a sad and hateful person? She can’t even bear the thought!

Sure, Akari’s always been brave, but not like  _ this! _

“Woah! Woah!” Yada shouts. “She’s acting ridiculous, but you’ve got to understand she thought she lost a sibling. I wouldn’t be behaving like normal, either!”

“But she’s  **_back!”_ ** A blond-haired boy yaps, pointing a finger at Aguri. “That’s not an excuse  _ anymore!” _

“I mean she’s  _ back...”  _ Another girl argues. “But like th…--  _ well! A lot of stuff has happened! It’s been less than a day!” _

“And she just got off of tentacles, too,” A white-haired boy reminds. “Of course she’s not acting like--”

“Like what? Not a huge dick? Because from what  _ I  _ remember you were back to acting like a civilized person the moment you got yours off.”

“You had to be  _ to  _ get them off!”

“Our situations weren’t exactly th-”

“Will you stop calling her names!? We’re a class! This isn’t how we’re supposed to behave!”

“Well we’re not supposed to put each other in  _ danger,  _ either, are we!?”

**_“I was protecting my sister!”_ ** Akari shrieks. “For the last fucking time: _ why don’t you get that!?  _ **_She’s all I have!_ ** I wasn’t going to lose her because you’re all… you’re all-” she drifts off, trembling. _ “Ridiculous.” _

A silence falls over the room. And before the shouting can begin once more Korosensei speaks up... voice strangely firm.

“I see now that you arguing is perhaps something unpreventable. And I understand where this discord is coming from. But if you’re going to fight then at least give me a moment to escort Yukimura-sensei from the room. This is the last thing she needs to see upon her return.” He stares out over the class, expression indecipherable. “I’ll be back in just a minute. Please hold your anger in until then. When I’m back, I’ll be more than happy to mediate.”

And with that, he takes Aguri’s hand. Every eye in the class returns to her… some looking guilty, but before he can begin to lead her out of there, Akari snatches up her other hand. She frowns deeply… trembling, slightly, as she speaks and tugs on Aguri’s hand.

“No,” she says. “Forget it. We’ll just go.  **_I get it._ ** They hate me and don’t want to be my friend anymore.  _ I don’t care.  _ They’re right: I screwed up. And I’m sorry. But I’ll leave the class. _ I got what I needed back. _ And I don’t want you guys stressing her out anymore just because  _ I’m  _ dumb and stubborn.” 

She wastes no time. Bowing her head, she tears Aguri from Korosensei’s grasp and ushers her towards the doorway. It’s as she’s barely moved, however, that an unimpressed voice speaks up from the back of the class.

“That’s all we wanted to hear, you know.”

Akari freezes.

“Literally  _ all  _ we were asking for was a sorry,” Terasaka says. “Not for you to ‘choose’ us over your sister or anything. I’m glad things worked out— really. But things could have gone a  _ lot  _ better… and I’d appreciate so much as an indication that you’d actually have even cared if we got hurt. A ‘thank you.’ A ‘how are you feeling?’  **_Anything._ ** But instead of doing that you jammed your head further up your ass and called us a bunch of disposable strangers.  _ Do you know how that feels?” _

His tone’s aggressive, but he’s surprisingly collected. Nowhere near shouting in the way he was before… he just sounds more  _ disappointed  _ than anything. He gives her a harsh look, one arm crossed over the other.

Akari doesn’t look back at him… simply stares through the doorway. Glancing briefly towards Aguri, then back towards the ground, she gives a deep frown.

“...You are,” she says, before quickly backpedaling. “Not disposable, but… strangers. Or at least I am to you. You’re right: _ you don’t know me. And _ I don’t belong here. This is the entire reason that I came here, and I got what I wanted. I should go.”

“What sort of closure is that?”

“Hey! Wait! Hold up!”

“You think we don’t know so much about you, but that’s not true, is it?”

“Yeah! I bet we could drop a thousand things about you right now.

Akari’s lip twitches.

“Like what?” She says. “I probably made it all up.”

“Well… I know you like sweets,” a black-haired girl says. “You were always sucking on a lollipop or sneaking some kind of pudding into class. You wouldn’t have had to make  _ that  _ up for an act, would you?”

Akari pauses, shaking her head. Unimpressed, she says “...I didn’t really like them before the tentacles.”

“Okay then. What about the fact that you have a sister? We know that now.”

“We know more about your personal life than we know about each other’s.”

“...What you went through sounds really messed up.”

“That’s different,” Akari insists. “I only told you that because I  _ had  _ to. If I had my way, I’d never have shared anything at all.”

“Well… yeah,” The black-haired-girl responds. “But that doesn’t matter, does it? If I had  _ my  _ way I’d never have shared the fact that I liked video games, but you still all know that about me now.”

“We know you hate boobs,” Yada pipes up. “Remember? You were always shouting about it. And you were… actually pretty mean to me about it? That was weird.”

“Also a tentacle thing,” Akari grumbles, rolling her eyes. “At least… mostly. And don’t bring that up in front of my sister--”

“Okay. So we know that you at least still have standards.”

“We also know that… you’re a really good friend,” a meek voice says, although soon shies back. “At least… you were to me. I know everyone’s really mad at you, but… you helped me gain a lot of confidence. And you were always cheering me on. That wasn’t influenced by the tentacles, was it?”

Akari pauses… glancing, just slightly, back over her shoulder.

“No.”

“We know that you’ll do anything for what you believe in,” another student pipes up.

“Yeah. That bit’s a little more than obvious by now.”

“You’re kind of insane.”

“But- but not in a bad way!” Another’s quick to rectify. 

_ “Well…-” _

“We know that you’re stupid and rash,” Terasaka huffs. “Maybe we didn’t before now, but that’s for certain.” 

“And we also know that  _ you _ know you owe us a better apology than  _ that,” _ a girl to his front and right murmurs. “You’re a smart girl, aren’t you? Seriously... what are you doing  _ leaving?” _

“That’s no way to make it up to us!”

“If anything that’s kind of infuriating!”

“Yeah. We don’t want you to run away. We just want you to realize what you did was wrong.”

“...That how you treated  _ us  _ was wrong.”

“And it’s not like we’re gonna ask you to get on your hands and knees or anything,” Terasaka admits. “We’ve screwed up our fair share of times, too.” He pauses. “‘Course I’m not going to apologize, either… say I’m sorry for yelling at you and instantly forgive you or whatever. But I don’t want you to  _ go.  _ Remember the time  **_I_ ** almost got the class killed?”

“Was more embarrassed than I’ve ever been… letting a jackass like that take advantage of me," he continues. "But I didn’t turn tail and run. That’d have been pathetic! Instead I faced up to what I’d done... and I  _ like  _ to think I made it up to you guys. Now are you gonna do the same? Or are you going to flee like a coward? Let us remember you  _ this  _ way forever?”

“At least say  _ sorry!” _

“If you really can’t handle it that’s okay,” A black-haired-girl murmurs. “...I dunno what sort of bad memories this classroom brings back for you. But if you’re going to leave at least let us say goodbye. Let us talk to you about what happened.”

“...And let us tell you that you are our friend, too… whether you believe it or not.” 

A small murmur echoes around the classroom. But slowly… surely, a few students nod. ‘Sugino’ hurries to his feet.

“We’ve been hanging out with you all year,” he says. “And… you don’t have to see us as people you care about if you really don’t want to. But we care about you, yeah? We pretty much  _ couldn’t  _ not.”

“Yeah,” Nagisa adds on. “We’ve been through a lot together. And even if you think we’re strangers, well…” He pauses. “We don’t have to be. Not anymore.”

Akari’s quiet for a long moment… staring through the doorway. But slowly… as her classmates speak, she begins to shake. And one by one, tears spill down her face.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” she whispers, struggling for breath. “That you guys were strangers… that I couldn’t trust you.” She hiccups, wiping, desperately, at her eyes. “You helped me get her out of there. Even  _ now  _ you’re being so nice to me.”

“I’m sorry,” she says with a whimper.  **_“I’m sorry._ ** You’re right. That was dangerous and selfish. I just didn’t know what else to do. I was so scared I was going to lose her, and I didn’t know if I could put faith in you all. But that was no excuse to almost get you all  _ killed.  _ I don’t know what I would have done if you were. I don’t even know what my sister would think of me.”

“I’m sorry. **_I’m sorry._ ** I won’t do it again. And thank you for having me for so long,” she whispers with a sob. “I know I screwed up, but… you’re right. I’d like to stay. And I’d like to not be strangers, even if I’ve kind of been one up until now."

She looks so small standing there crying. She still doesn’t turn around… her shoulders shaking, but she bats at her eyes and lets out a pathetic sob. Aguri reaches out to her with a single hand-- wishing, desperately, that there was something she could do… but ultimately she finds herself at a loss. What is it you can even say at a moment like this?

That’s okay. Nagisa and the bespectacled girl waste no time. They rush from their seats and hurry to Akari’s side… pat her shoulders and usher her, carefully, back over to her desk.

“Hey. Hey. It’s okay,” they say in quiet voices. “It’s alright. You’re gonna be fine.”

Stumbling as she walks, Akari gives an uncertain… but slightly more confident nod.

Aguri lets out a sigh of relief. She’s still heartbroken: it’s evident that Akari’s felt  _ very _ alone these past few months. But the good news is… she hasn’t been. And thank  _ god  _ she’s had people looking out for her while Aguri was gone.

(Thank  _ god  _ she’s lucky enough to have friends like these.)

Of course… a few students still shoot her uneasy looks as she totters their way, but no-one dares shout. Instead, cautious, they remind her that even if they really appreciate the apology, things might not go back to normal right away.

“You really scared us there,” a blond-haired boy admits. “I thought I was going to die.”

“I  _ felt _ like I was going to die,” Terasaka tacks on. “But… I didn’t. And I’m glad you’d at least have cared if I did.” He sighs. “Listen: you’re not off the hook yet. But I’m glad to at least have gotten through to you. None of us wanted things to end like that, either.”

“Of… course not,” Akari says with a frown. “Again: I’m sorry.”

And finally, Korosensei gets the chance to speak up.

“Ah…” he says. “I’m glad you all were able to work that out. I understand that there’s still likely to be discord in the class, but please understand that that’s okay and that I’ll be here for you while we wait for it to pass. If anyone else still has complicated feelings about what happened, then know you are  _ always  _ welcome to talk to me… and that you are under no obligation to forgive or even interact with Kayano. Just don’t pick on her or single her out. Understood?”

“Yeah,” one of the students says. “Of course.”

“And… I appreciate all of your concern in regards to looking out for me,” Korosensei continues. “While I’m not sure I agree with not telling Karasuma-sensei at all, I’m flattered that you felt the need to protect me... and I agree that it was perhaps for the best not to have  _ this  _ conversation in front of him.” He pauses. “That said, however: I’d hate to lie to him completely, and will likely let him know that there was an altercation of some sort. As important as it is that I stay by your side, it’s also important to set a good example. And I will not lie to a man who’s placed his trust in me.”

“Of course, regardless of how he reacts I will not be leaving this classroom… nor do I anticipate him asking me to. He’ll likely understand that I already know the scope of how I messed up. Despite his intimidating demeanor, Karasuma is an understanding man. We’ll come to a conclusion that we can agree upon.”

“Well… that’s good," one of the students murmurs.

“But seriously... don’t let him fire you, alright?” 

“This class would be way too boring without you around.”

“And hey! We’d be pretty mad if anyone ended up taking you out but us.”

Now  _ that  _ earns a slightly uncomfortable reaction. All the same… the students don’t argue, simply shift in their seats.

“Of course… all of this is going on the assumption that I’ll get to talk to Karasuma-sensei before Irina does,” Korosensei admits. “If she shares what she heard before I get the chance to explain my side of the story, then our situation might change.”

“Pah!” Irina pipes up from the back of the class, one arm crossed over the other. “I already told you I wasn’t going to snitch, didn’t I? I’m not going back on that. I’m not  _ that  _ big of a bitch.” She pauses. “And besides… your whole story was a lot more batshit than I ever could have anticipated. I wouldn’t know where to  _ begin  _ with explaining that.”

Collectively… the students let out a sigh of relief. And it’s before Korosensei can thank her that they speak. 

“Yeah. That makes sense,” one of them admits. “You’re a bitch for sure, but you’re not  _ his  _ bitch.”

_ “Fucking _ **_‘scuse_ ** _ me!?” _

“You heard me.”

“Don’t make me go back on this, punk! I’ve still got a chance to, you know!”

“Oh, you  _ wouldn’t,” _ another student scoffs. “Now you’re far too dedicated to proving that you’re  _ not  _ a snitch to even  _ consider  _ it! We’ve got you right in our trap!”

**_“Like hell you do!”_ **

Korosensei sighs. He must notice Aguri staring-- bewildered… because he tiptoes over to her side. He bows his head… exhausted, and apologizes for all of the commotion.

“Usually I’m able to control the students better,” He reassures. “Something like what just happened with your sister is  _ unprecedented  _ for this classroom. But… they’re under a lot of stress right now, and I hope you can understand. They’ll simmer down with time.”

Aguri blinks, but nods.

“Of… course,” she murmurs. “Don’t worry. I get it.”

She’d be stressed, too. Hell… she  _ is.  _

She still feels a little bad for barging in here at all. If the students didn’t have to know about her situation then there’s no doubt that they’d be living happier lives. All the same, she hopes Korosensei’s right when he says that they’ll recover.

(Because it’s her.  _ She’s  _ the stress, and the classroom didn’t fight like this before.) 

“And I know you do. Still… it feels best to explain,” Korosensei says. “I’m sure this is all a lot to take in.”

“Yeah,” Aguri says, quiet. “But… it’s whatever. I’ll survive.”

The last thing she needs is to stress him out right now, too.

Korosensei’s quiet, like he doubts that somehow-- but he doesn’t voice his concerns. Instead, still smiling, he says that he’s sure things will become a lot more clear once Karasuma’s returned.

“Then we can talk with him about the incident. That, and learn what the government plans to do about our… situation. That, at the very least, should take some of the ambiguity away, and we’ll better know what to anticipate in our future.” 

Aguri shifts, slightly. She’s pretty sure the government is just going to want her dead like they want Korosensei… but she doesn’t say  _ that.  _ Instead, not wanting to be a cause for concern, she nods.

“How long do you think he’ll be?” She asks, glancing at the doorway. “It’s been a while now.”

“I’m hardly sure,” Korosensei admits. “I’m sure he has a lot of important things to discuss. Would you like me to check up on him?”’

“No,” Aguri replies. “You should probably get started on class. The kids are riled up enough as is.” She pauses… drifts off.

She can only imagine that Karasuma is discussing some pretty frightening stuff right now: the fate of planet earth and all. It makes her anxious. She knows he has to be disclosing her story… telling the government all about what it is she’s done. How are they going to react? Will they feel sympathy for her… or will they be disgusted, too?

She already knows the answer… and some part of her doesn’t want to think about it. But another part of her’s antsy, and as she imagines Karasuma imparting all she’s been through, a  _ knot  _ forms in her stomach. 

Her thoughts start to race.

“Why don’t…  _ I _ go and grab him, actually?” She murmurs. “Make sure he doesn’t need any further details. In hindsight… we were a little vague.” 

Korosensei stares, jolting slightly. Confused, he says “Are you sure? I can talk to him if you’d like.”

“No, no. It’s fine,” Aguri responds. “I can get him. I’d like to apologize for my behavior earlier, anyways.”

“Well… if you’re certain,” Korosensei replies. “I’ll try to get class started in the meantime. And when the two of you return we can buckle down on math. Sound good?”

“Yeah,” Aguri says. “Sounds good.” She takes a step forward… drags herself towards the doorway. “I’ll only be one second. See you soon.”

“See you soon,” Korosensei repeats, giving her a halfhearted smile. “And just shout if you need anything, alright?”

“Of course,” Aguri responds, giving a nod. And with that, she’s gone. She spends thirty seconds fiddling with the door before finally wrenching it open. And out in the hallway… she begins the search for Karasuma.

She meant what she said to Korosensei about wanting to apologize to him for her erratic behavior, but that’s not the only reason she’s looking for Karasuma. More than anything she just wants to hear what it is he’s saying right now... if it’s about her. The thought of not knowing drives her insane. Surely her verdict’s been passed. And so… what is it?

(It’s death, right? They’re going to kill her. They’ve  _ got  _ to kill her. It’s  **_death.)_ **

The teacher’s lounge door is open. Astray... just a crack. Aguri creeps towards it, careful not to make a sound, and listens in for the voice inside.

Sure enough, there it is. Karasuma paces in a tight circle, not noticing Aguri as she presses herself up against the outside wall. He’s got a phone to his ear… and nods, diligently, as he listens to the person on the other end of the line. 

Aguri can’t quite make them out. It’s not like he has it on speaker. All the same, it’s not  _ them  _ that she really needs to hear, and Karasuma’s words are loud and clear.

“And so you’re sure...” he says, voice strained. “He’s really missing?”

An indecipherable murmur comes through from the other end of the line… and Karasuma flinches, brow furrowed

“No hotel records?”

Murmur.

“No paper trail?”

Murmur.

“Not even a medical record? You’ve got to be kidding me! From the way they described it he should be  _ hospitalized.  _ He can’t just have disappeared into thin air!”

Murmurmurmurmurmur.

**“** ** _Yes,_** I’m sure they’re not making it up. I saw it myself. There’s another one... one with more risk factors than two of the first ones combined. And it’s just some poor _lady!”_ he throws his hands in the air. Pauses… listens _. “No--_ I don’t know who she is. _No --_ I’ve only heard the name up until now. _I didn’t think that--”_

Aguri thinks she hears the words “legally dead.”

They’re talking about her.

But if she’s ‘it…’ if  _ she’s ‘ _ some poor lady,’ then who’s ‘him?’ Who on earth is missing?

_...It’s Yanagisawa.  _ It has to be. He’s already made his escape. She’d known all along that this would happen-- but all the same, it forms a knot in her stomach. He’s out there somewhere… and at  _ any moment  _ he can come back for her. The government can’t protect her and she certainly can’t protect herself. He’s in the shadows!  _ And no-one will be able to punish him for what he’s done.  _ No-one will be able to keep him away from her.

(She’s already as good as doomed!)

She feels her hands shake… takes a step back.

‘Punish him?’ she thinks, blinking back tears. For what? _Saving her life?_ **_Ungrateful bitch!_** She deserves whatever it is that’s coming to her!

She can barely make out Karasuma’s words. She thinks she hears something about searching the lab… but it’s hazy. She can’t bring herself to care.  _ Why did she come out here again?  _ Surely she knew this is what she’d hear.

(Did she… did she  _ want _ to be scared?)

She considers running… turning tail and telling Korosensei she couldn’t find Karasuma or whatever. But she hesitates for a moment… and what she hears next shocks her out of her stupor.

_ “No, we’re not working with him again!”  _ he snarls, fist clenched. “We only agreed to cooperate with him in the first place because he said he wouldn’t make any more of those  _ things!  _ He _ undeniably  _ broke contract… and now we’re in even more danger than before. The minute we find him we’ve _ got _ to take care of things. This  **_cannot_ ** be allowed to happen again.”

‘Again,’ he says… and Aguri’s whole body shakes.

‘Cooperate.’ ‘Contract.’

**_‘Things.’_ **

That’s her… isn’t it? _ He’s talking about her and Korosensei. They’re  _ the danger. And so Karasuma isn’t intent on hunting Yanagisawa down because he hurt her. He’s intent on hunting Yanagisawa down because he  _ saved  _ her. 

(Because he made her  _ this.) _

And that means that… the government… Karasuma--  _ they already knew.  _ They  **_already knew what Yanagisawa had done to Korosensei…_ ** _ and they were just okay with it!?  _ They were working with him! With **_Yanagisawa--_ ** who had done that to him in the first place.  _ Why?  _ Were they really okay with killing him like  _ that!?  _ Giving funds to the man who made him a monster?

_ (Giving funds to the man who was making Aguri a monster right under their nose?) _

And to think that…- to think that this man has the audacity to call Korosensei a _ ‘thing.’ _

...She doesn’t mind hearing it about herself. Not really. She’s already accepted that she’s pretty much worthless. But hearing  _ Korosensei  _ referred to that way? It makes her want to cry. He is  _ such  _ a kind person. He’s the one who got her out of there. He’s pretty much all she has! And Karasuma’s calling him  _ that!? _

How… how  _ dare  _ he?

She knows she doesn’t have the right to get mad… she kind of came out here  _ searching  _ for bad news. But all the same, she expected a death sentence, not a declaration of personal dislike… and Karasuma’s words  _ sting.  _ It’s not  _ his  _ fault she overheard, of course, but… she regrets her decision.

She shouldn’t have come here.

Karasuma hangs up soon after. Saying a few final short words, he shakes his head and pockets his phone. He doesn’t leave right away, however... simply stands there in that empty teacher's lounge and catches his breath.

For maybe a second he’s panicked-- angry. But that soon fades. And by the time he’s stepped out of the room he’s returned to that blank expression… this frightening  _ nothingness.  _ He locks eyes with Aguri, startled.

“Ah,” he says. “You’re here.”

“Yeah,” Aguri says, looking away. “Sorry, I just showed up. Korosensei and I wanted to know if you needed any further clarification on anything. I know we were kind of vague.”

Karasuma’s quiet for a long moment… but soon shakes his head.

“No,” he says. “I think I got everything I needed. I just got off the phone with my supervisor.”

“That’s good,” Aguri responds. “Did you talk about anything important?” She pauses. “...I thought I heard something about Yanagisawa.”

“Oh,” Karasuma says. “I was not aware you were listening in.”

“A-ah!” Aguri squeaks. “Well-- I didn’t mean to-- I wasn’t  _ listening in.  _ I just heard his name.” Another long pause. She takes a step back. “Is it true he’s missing?”

“Yes,” Karasuma responds. “...Something like that.”

He steps past Aguri... and for a second she expects him to lunge. But ultimately he sidesteps her without an issue. And waving a hand, he motions for her to follow.

“Come on,” he says. “I think it’s best we get back to class.”

Aguri lets out a small, sputtery sigh of relief. All the same… she doesn’t let the tension in her chest release. Sure, Karasuma didn’t strike her, but Yanagisawa wasn’t angry at first, either.

(He simply watched her from the back of her college classes as she tried to ignore the _ sharklike  _ gaze now on her neck.)

Karasuma shoots her a sideways glance. Staring for a long moment, then motioning once more, he reiterates that he thinks they should really be going back. 

Aguri hurries after. She’d like not to waste any more of this man’s patience than she already has.

He seems uncomfortable as she sticks close… but he doesn’t speak. He doesn’t even mention what she’s sure he knows she heard. Instead they walk in silence… and he frowns; doesn’t look her way. He’s got one hand firmly nestled in his pocket.

Some part of Aguri is tempted to apologize for making his job harder… scaring him or making him want to shout. But ultimately she doesn’t have the guts. She doesn’t know this person… and even if she did it wouldn’t feel genuine. It’s not like she can blame him for not liking her. She wouldn’t like her, either.

(She just hopes that if it comes down to it he can focus on her now instead of Korosensei.  _ He’s  _ the one who doesn’t deserve it.)

The two of them re-enter the classroom. The kids look over and Korosensei gives a wave. It’s before any of them can speak, however, that Karasuma makes his announcement. 

“We’re to head to the nearest research faculty immediately.”

“P-pardon?” One of the students asks. “We just got started on class! You can’t seriously tell us that we’re going to-”

“You’re under no obligation to come,” Karasuma quickly responds. “I’m simply talking to the octopus and her. The government would like to observe you.”

Korosensei pauses. Creeping Aguri’s way he says “I believe none of us are under any obligation to do anything. Would you like to explain?”

“Direct orders,” Karasuma responds. “Headquarters aren’t going to take my word for it: they’d like to see her themselves. And  _ yes,  _ this is a requirement.” He crosses his arms. “You were obligated to let us analyze your DNA before we allowed you to teach here… and the same applies to her. If she’d like to stay then she’d best be coming with.  _ Technically  _ I can take her alone, but I was under the assumption that you’d--”

“Absolutely not,” Korosensei responds, face flashing black for just a split second. “If she’s going anywhere then it’s with me.”

“That’s what I thought,” Karasuma says, unimpressed. “Come with, then. Irina can watch the class. This shouldn’t take long.”

“Are you kidding me?” One of the students whispers.

_ “Her  _ in charge?”

“This is bound to be amusing at the very least.”

Aguri, meanwhile… feels a shudder down her spine. Are they talking about… taking her to a lab? Woah!  _ Woah!  _ She never agreed to be analyzed--  **_observed._ ** She can’t go back there again! She creeps closer to Korosensei-- clings to his arm.

_ ‘Please,’  _ she thinks, desperate **.** **_‘Pleasepleaseplease._ ** Don’t let them take me back there.’

“Listen,” Korosensei says. “I’ll make you a deal. We’ll go, and I’ll come with. But give us the school day first, at least. I can’t leave the kids alone.”

“Still right here,” Irina says, irritated.

“I understand why this is urgent,” Korosensei continues, paying her no mind. “But so is their education. Allow me to do my job and _ then _ I will comply.  _ I  _ will help Aguri be looked over. That said, however, I also want your word that this is not a trap… and that there will be ways for us to escape if need be. We are agreeing to observation and analysis: nothing more. The same thing I went through. I do not want to see a hand laid on her. And if these conditions are not met, we will not come.”

“Nor will we come if she’s not okay with it in the first place,” he admits. “These are the conditions  _ I  _ need, but ultimately the decision is hers. If she’s not comfortable being poked and prodded at, then you cannot force our hand. We are the ones with the superpowers here.”

“I’m not sure about  _ that,”  _ Karasuma replies, lip twitching. “We can still revoke your license at any time.”

“No: you cannot.  _ Asano  _ can revoke my license at any time. You have no bearing on that decision.”

“Unless we stop paying the hush money.”

“And have this get out to the world? _ You wouldn’t dare.” _

Korosensei’s still got that ever-present smile on his face, but suddenly there’s something  _ sinister  _ about it. Every bit as composed as he was back when he was a human, his scenario is not a request… it’s a demand. And as he wraps an arm defensively around Aguri’s shoulder, his posture is tense.

“W-woah!” Aguri says, bowing her head. “There’s no need to fight over me--  _ really.  _ The last thing I’d want to cause for you all is trouble. _ ”  _ She bites her lip… scratches at her arm. “I’ll admit that I really don’t want to go and that… this whole thing scares me, but if Korosensei can be there then it’s okay, I guess. You’ve just got to promise to… to honor his conditions, alright? This is… very difficult for me.” A pause. “Sorry.”

Quite frankly, the very notion makes her knees shake. But she’s also got a feeling she can’t say no. As intimidating as Korosensei is-- Karasuma is right… she could be a danger to the whole wide world... and the government deserves to make sure it’s safe for her to be around the students before she does anything rash. That, and it hurts her to see Korosensei return to this state. He seemed to be getting along with Karasuma earlier. She doesn’t want to be the one to ruin that.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Korosensei reassures, pulling her in close. “...Now, Karasuma: will you agree to our terms, or do we need to negotiate further?”

Karasuma gives pause, staring Korosensei down. It’s not looking into Korosensei’s beady eyes, however, that finally makes him speak up. It’s after staring at Aguri for a long, tense moment, that he finally says, “Fine.”

“I’m still not happy about this,” he continues. “But… it’s apparent you’re not going to budge. I’ll let my supervisors know you’ve at least agreed in part. And… I’ll see what I can do about your accommodations. Is this good?” 

“More than,” Korosensei replies, soon returning to his casual demeanor. “I’ll make sure to repay you for this in the future, Karasuma,” he says with a heavy sigh. “I promise.”

“...Very well then,” Karasuma says, seemingly unimpressed. “Either way, I’ll be stepping out now. I’ve still got some conversations to have. I’ll remain outside for the rest of class. Let me know when gym period’s begun. Until then I’m occupied.”

“Of course,” Korosensei says. “Although before you go, I probably have one more thing you should share with your supervisors. Something we- er- had to decide to share as a class.”

“And what exactly is that?”

“Um- it’s sort of embarrassi-  _ you’ve got to promise not to be mad at me if I say, alright?” _

**_“What?”_ **

_ “You’ve got to promise not to be mad at me!”  _ Korosensei says, voice a yelp. “You’ve already been so understanding and cool about everything else! I don’t know what I’d do if you retroactively took back your agreement with Aguri because of this!”

“I’m not going to--  **_goddamn it, octopus!_ ** _ Just spit it out, already!” _

“Okaaaaayyyyy!” Korosensei wails. “But seriously! You’ve got to  _ swear  _ to me, alright!? Or otherwise I’ll make all the students turn against you!”

“The students  _ what?” _

“Turn against you! Because I’m their super cool and favorite teacher and they’ll be  _ mad  _ if you get me in troubleeeee!”

It’d almost be funny if it weren’t so sad. Just a moment ago Korosensei was composed… calculating and malicious, and now he’s pleading like a  _ child!? _ Aguri’s not sure what to think.

“Okay! _ Okay!  _ **_Okay!_ ** I promise! Now just tell me what it is already!”

“I  _ mayyyyy  _ have… accidentally… um--” Korosensei’s voice drops to a whisper as he leans in to Karasuma’s ear. And quickly, Karasuma’s brow furrows.

“But… no-one was permanently harmed?”

“Of course not,” Korosensei replies. “I took care of the situation as soon as I could. All the same, I thought it would be for the best you knew.”

“...Thank you,” Karasuma replies, voice strained. “I’ll make sure to pass on the news.” 

And with that, he turns. Korosensei reaches a hand out, asking once-more if he’s not mad… but Karasuma doesn’t respond. Simply gives him one last stressed, angry look, and shuts the door behind him. 

Korosensei doesn’t follow after. He wilts, fiddling with his hands as he shoots the door a nervous glance. Irina laughs from the back of class, pointing a finger, amused, at him.

“And so you really  _ are  _ in trouble,” she snickers. “The kids were right. You  _ probably  _ shouldn’t have shared that.”

“I had tooooo!” Korosensei whimpers, covering his face with his hands. “Can you imagine if it had come out  _ later?  _ He’d be pissed I lied to him! I couldn’t risk that. And besides, I said it myself: I had to set a good example for the students.”

“Your conniving, government secret, murder-for-hire students? Likely story.”

“Hey, hey,” one of the students says, standing. He walks over to pat Korosensei on the back, frowning. “Don’t get too anxious yet. I’m sure Karasuma-sensei won’t actually fire you.”

“Yeah,” another student agrees. “He wouldn’t do that. He’s probably just worried about us.”

“We did get pretty roughed up, after all.”

“But we’re their only surefire way to kill you. The government isn’t gonna let go of that.”

“I know, I  _ know,”  _ Korosensei responds, shaking his head. “But all the same… I embarrassed myself so badly! Do you think Karasuma’s going to think lesser of me as a teacher now because of it?”

“Well… I’m not very sure he’s ever thought of you highly as a teacher at all.”

**_“AAAAAAAHHH!_ ** That’s worse, somehow!”

Thankfully, despite Korosensei’s wailing… the class soon calms down. And as it does, one of the students is brave enough to say what Aguri’s been thinking. Raising a hand, she admits that it was actually pretty cool that Korosensei stuck up for Aguri earlier.

“I wouldn’t have had the guts to say no to Karasuma-sensei personally. I can’t believe you actually got him to agree to wait.”

“Yeah,” another student replies. “Now that you mention it… that  _ is  _ pretty incredible. I didn’t know you had that sort of backbone in you, sensei.”

“Well,” Korosensei says, seeming to perk up instantly at the slightest hint of praise. “I don’t usually like to be argumentative… but it was for an important cause. I wasn’t going to let him make Aguri do anything she didn’t want to do.” He pauses. “Not that I think he would have, for the record. Scary as he is, Karasuma is a good man.”

“Well… yeah, of course,” a student replies. “But he’s got orders to follow.”

“I hope you weren’t too shaken up, Yukimura-sensei.”

“No…” Aguri says, shaking her head. “I’m sure you’re right. But all the same… thank you. Seriously.” She gives Korosensei a relieved look. “The students are right. I can’t express how thankful I am that you stood up for me. I really wasn’t ready to go back to that place yet.”

“Hey now,” Korosensei replies. “...Don’t worry. You won’t be going back to that place at all. The government is just going to look over you. Like I said: I won’t cooperate unless there’s some sort of form of escape. You know I wouldn’t do anything that would put you in danger.”

Briefly, memories of disembowelment rise to the forefront of Aguri’s mind... but she quickly shakes them off. Reminding herself that that wasn’t Korosensei’s fault, she instead treasures his warm words, and steps closer to her old friend. He smiles, and almost steps closer himself, at least until he thinks better of it.

“Anyways,” he says, pulling away. “I believe it’s time we get started on class for real. Does anyone remember what page we left off on?”

And with that, things go back to some sort of normal. Aguri creeps to the back of class… not wanting to interrupt. And thinks that, although frightened, she trusts this person to keep her safe at the very least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Ooooh Karasuma. I've been /so/ looking forward to having Aguri meet you.
> 
> Prepare for one of my favorite dynamics in the fic! I hope I didn't portray him as too cold/angry. I'm definitely not trying to purposefully antagonize him, even if that's what AGURI is doing. He's just... under a lot of pressure right now. Too bad that'll definitely color how Aguri sees him further, however. >:3c
> 
> (Oh boy. You can tell where this is going.)
> 
> Thankfully, Irina is still a laugh and a half at least... and it was DELIGHTFUL getting to write her meeting Aguri. There'll be many more awesome interactions between the two of them in the future.
> 
> Things are pretty discordant between the class at the moment. Not only are they dealing with a Civil War 0.5 of sorts trying to dissect what they need to do now, but they're ALSO dealing with Kayano discourse. Thankfully they were able to work the latter out for the most part. Don't get me wrong-- a few kids are still SUPER mad at her, but they all do care about her, and they want her to know.
> 
> Next chapter we'll have a heart to heart between the sisters, meet Gakuho and Ritsu, and have Aguri talk to the government about her predicament. All fun stuff! It'll be up in a week, so look forward to that.
> 
> If you're interested in previews why not join my Discord? It's expanded a lot as of recently, and I'd LOVE people to talk about the fic with.
> 
> https://discord.gg/JE87AJ5NWt
> 
> As for now, however... some songs that helped me write THIS chapter were Drive Slow by Addie, Who's The New Guy from Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Baby's On Fire by Die Antwood, and Hurricane from Hamilton.
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed. Make sure to let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon!


	12. Long Day Time

The rest of the day goes by in a haze. Aguri isn’t really paying attention to most of it. 

She tries, but it’s a pretty tough process. Her head’s still spinning… and despite her best efforts, her mind wanders back to her appointment later that night. She watches Korosensei teach from the back of class… pulls out a chair and awkwardly sits.

He invites her to teach, too, but she declines the offer. She’s nowhere near in the right headspace… and it’s not like she remembers the curriculum. She’ll leave the heavy work to him. For now, she’d just like to rest.

The atmosphere in the classroom is strange… and nervous glances keep getting sent back her way, but eventually, the students do ease up some. They raise their hands-- answering questions as Korosensei instructs, and Aguri forces a smile. 

_ ‘He really was right,’ _ she thinks, listening to them work.  _ ‘They’ve come a long way… haven’t they?’ _

She can’t remember exactly what the classroom environment was before all of this… but it certainly wasn’t  _ this  _ open. It was oppressive. Cold. 

(The students were _ scared.) _

‘They still are now, I suppose,’ she thinks, meeting their uneasy gaze. ‘But it’s not nearly as bad.’

“It would be x³ - 6y², right? Since you can simplify 2y and 4y, but not x.”

“Exactly. Though be careful when referring to x³ as just x.”

She wonders why _ she  _ could never get them to learn like that.

Korosensei continues to ask her to teach throughout the rest of the day… but she turns him down each time. She feels bad: she knows he’s probably just trying to make her feel normal, but she doesn’t think she  _ can.  _ She’s… more than content watching the classroom environment he’s fostered, and she wouldn’t want to distract the students, anyways.

He lets out a sigh… nods. Somehow he seems disappointed, but he doesn’t push.

She gets to see Irina teach, too. It’s strange… and she keeps shooting Aguri weird looks from the front of class, but the students seem to like her, at least. 

_ “Miss Johnson is a whore,”  _ they repeat monotonously, almost like they have a thousand times before.

“This is weird,” one of them protests, shaking her head. “Do we really need to do this in front of  _ her?  _ It’s embarrassing.”

“Yes you need to do it in front of ‘her,’” Irina huffs. “I wasn’t informed there was a new chick! And so it's not like I had time to change my lesson plans.”

“Your ‘lesson plans,’” a student repeats, rolling his eyes. “Yeah. Sure. You’ve got those. We believe you.”

And Aguri must admit…  _ yeah, _ it’s pretty weird. But all the same, who is she to judge this woman’s method of education? And she  _ does  _ catch the students whispering to each other in English later that day.

(...Even if... it’s mostly swears.

Whatever. Progress is progress.)

She notices all sorts of weird things around the classroom. It’s not just Korosensei’s appearance or Irina’s strange methods of teaching. Now that she looks closely, all of the students have rubber knives on their desks. And somewhere near the back of the class, a strange black box looms over the room. Aguri sits there wondering what it is. At least until it speaks.

“Actually,” a voice pipes up halfway through science. “The correct chemical compound would be ethyl acetate. C4H8O2 is an umbrella formula. It can also stand for butyric acid.” 

“Ah. You’re right. Thank you, Ritsu.”

The students must notice her staring in disbelief, because one of them turns back to lean her way. 

“That’s Ritsu,” he whispers. “The friendly neighborhood A.I.”

And for a moment… Aguri’s brow furrows. ‘Has there always been an A.I in the class?’ she thinks. ‘Or am I just going insane?’

Don’t tell her she’s  _ forgetting  _ someone.

“Nah,” the student reiterates, giving a shrug. “She’s new. Shipped in specifically to off Korosensei.”

“Ah,” Aguri says with a frown. “Thank you...” she drifts off-- gives pause.

“Karma,” the student finishes. “Karma Akabane.”

That’s right. The problem student. From last night.

(...And so even if she’s not forgetting the robot, she sure has forgotten a lot.)

That afternoon Akari pulls her aside. As the rest of the students eat lunch, she asks Aguri if she’d like to peek out into the hallway alone. She says she’s got some things she wants to discuss. Aguri hesitates-- sending a sideways glance towards Korosensei, but ultimately doesn’t want to turn down the offer. If Akari’s got something to talk about then it’s probably important.

“It’ll be just one second,” Akari promises, taking Aguri by the hand and helping her up onto her feet. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen.”

She guides her over to the doorway… nudges it open and helps her duck through. She never once lets go of Aguri’s hand as she does— even as she sits down and pops open her lunch. Aguri sits down next to her… crouching, awkwardly, as the floorboards shift beneath her weight. 

“What is it you’d like to talk about?” She asks. “Is something bothering you?”

It’s a stupid question… and she feels ridiculous even saying it, but Akari doesn’t berate her.

“Nah,” she responds. “I guess I just wanted to have a moment alone… without Sensei.” She pauses. Stares out towards the hallway. “Is what he said true? About how he met you?”

Aguri frowns… scratches at her arm.

“Of course it is,” she says. “Why? Did you not believe him?”

“...Yeah,” Akari admits. “Kind of.” She sighs. “This is all new information to me. And it’s not like I’d have believed him even if he shared earlier. I thought he had hurt you, but he was really trying to protect you all of this time? It’s… a lot to take in.”

“Yeah. I get that,” Aguri responds. “But I promise it’s true. Korosensei is my best friend. What happened to me… it was in no way his fault.”

“That’s good,” Akari replies. “At least, I mean… kind of.” She curls her knees  in to to her chest. Averts her gaze. “I’m sorry I spent so much time trying to hurt him. He’s clearly important to you. I don’t know what I’d have done if I ended up doing something irreversible."

“Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t. That’s what matters.”

Aguri can’t blame her for misinterpreting. She can’t blame her for being scared and angry. She’d probably be mad, too, if she were in Akari’s shoes. She thinks more than anything she’s just sad. She can’t believe Akari was suffering-- stewing in her own hatred for all of this time.

(And here Aguri was thinking she wouldn’t even care if she died.)

“I still could have, though,” Akari responds. “I think that matters, too.” 

She shifts, slightly… pokes at the back of her neck.

(Fresh burns run down her nape)

“I hope you don’t think I’m a bad person,” she says. “For seeking revenge. I know it was wrong. But... I didn’t know what else I was supposed to do. I thought I had lost you. And it made me-- it made me so  _ mad, _ ” she clenches her fist. Blinks back tears. “I had to make whoever did that pay. Make them regret taking you away from me.”

Her words scare Aguri. They’re an indication of just how much she’s been hurt and proof of her resolve all at once. Of course, all the same, Aguri doesn’t hate her.

“I don’t think you’re a bad person,” she says. “I would _ never.  _ You were in an incredibly scary situation, Akari. No-one could fault you for not thinking it through rationally.” She scoots in closer… considers placing a hand on Akari’s shoulder, but hesitates. “Especially when you had those  _ things  _ in your body. I’m just glad that they’re out of you now. That, and that you finally know the full story. Now you won’t need to run around making assumptions based on half-truths anymore."

“Mmmm,” Akari replies, scooting in slightly herself. She leans on Aguri… breathes deeply.

Even now she’s got a tough face on. Aguri frowns and lets her know that she can cry if she’d like.

“I’m not going to judge you. Crying is all I’ve wanted to do since I got back.”

Akari thinks it over, but ultimately shakes her head.

“Nah,” she says. “I think I’m good. If I need to cry I’ll do it when I get home. For now I’m just happy to be by your side.”

“Alright,” Aguri responds, wondering why. Her tentacles  _ twitch  _ as Akari rests on her shoulder, and yet… she doesn’t pull away. Simply sits there calmly, breathing in and out as she reaches out for her lunch box and grabs at her food.

“You want any?” she asks. “You must be hungry.”

“No,” Aguri replies, only just now processing her stomach growling. “I already had a big enough breakfast. And besides… I’d hate to steal your lunch. Just worry about yourself right now.”

“If you say so,” Akari relents, shoulders slacking. “But you’ve gotta make sure to pack yourself a lunch tomorrow, alright? You’re probably starving after what happened.”

“Don’t worry,” Aguri says. “I will. I think I just forgot with everything else that’s going on.”

She knows it won’t help her. Her stomach will continue to growl and her bones will continue to ache, but if it helps Akari even a little bit then it’ll be worth it. She sincerely doubts she even needs to eat being what she is now, but she owes her sister the illusion of normalcy. That, and she must admit she missed it too.

...The little pleasures in life.

(A good smell wafts her way)

Yeah. She’d like to eat while she still can.

Ignoring her impending doom, she leans back and presses herself against the wall. A faint laughter reverberates out from inside. It quickly peters off-- replaced again by the awkward silence, but all the same… she smiles.

“It seems the class is doing well,” she says. “I’m glad to see you’re getting along with everyone.” She pauses. “It seems you’ve made some really good friends.”

“Yeah,” Akari replies, picking at her meal. “I guess I have. It still kind of feels like I don’t deserve it, but…” she drifts off. “They’ve been extremely hospitable to me.”

“You’ll have to tell me about them sometime,” Aguri instructs. “I mean, of course… I  _ know  _ about them,” She awkwardly tacks on. “But not how they’ve bonded to you.”

“Yeah,” Akari replies. “Don’t worry. I will.”

“I’m glad that you can stay,” Aguri continues. “I mean, that they’d be happy to have you. I don’t know what I’d do if you got in a fight with your friends over something to do with me.” She pauses. “You  _ are  _ going to stay, right? Here?”

“I guess I kind of have to,” Akari replies. “I’m already halfway through the year. I’d hate to back out now.” She sighs. “And besides… I kind of owe it to them. Even if I have a lot of complex feelings about what happened there, they’re right in that I owe them closure.” She gives a frown. “They’re right in that I owe showing them I can be a better friend.” 

“And hey," Aguri says. "Staying will give you a chance to get to know Korosensei, won’t it? Now that you know he’s not a malicious person you’ll be able to bond for real. That’s pretty nice.”

“Yeah. I guess,” Akari admits, curling in one knee up to her chest. She takes another bite of her lunch. Frowns. 

“Are  _ you  _ going to stay?” she asks.

Aguri blinks. 

“Pardon?”

“Here. In class,” Akari specifies. “I mean, I can already figure that you’re going to stay in the home… at least, I hope. But are you gonna keep teaching here? Or do you think you don’t wanna do that anymore?”

“Oh,” Aguri says. “I’m hardly sure.” She knits at her hands… stares at the ground. “The government’s yet to decide whether I’m a danger or not. I’d hate to stay around if it was at the expense of you all.”

“It won’t be,” Akari stubbornly replies. “You’re not a danger. You’re just a victim in this situation. And besides, they let  _ Korosensei  _ stay, didn’t they?” She shifts slightly. “He was a  _ murderer.” _

“Now-” Aguri flinches. “That’s not a very nice thing to say. And while I suppose that’s true…” she pauses. “The whole situation is very complex. I couldn’t blame them if they decided they don’t want me around."

After all, ‘just a victim’ is a pretty broad simplification. She’s still dangerous, and Karasuma doesn’t seem to see her as a victim, anyways. He’s probably right in that regard. Even if she didn’t ask for this she knows she sort of brought it on herself.

“...I doubt I’d make a very good teacher, anyways.”

_ “Yes you would!” _

“...”

“You’re an  _ amazing _ teacher, Aguri. It’s all you’ve ever wanted to do. And you actually have a degree, unlike Korosensei. You’d do a  _ great  _ job.”

“I mean… if you say so,” Aguri replies, shifting slightly. “But it’s not like I remember much of the curriculum. Or… anything else, really. It’s been a very long time. I’m sort of in a daze. And not to mention that I’m…  _ this.” _

She stares down at her hands. Akari’s quiet for a long moment, glowering. And when she responds, it’s ice cold. 

“Fuck anyone who cares,” She says, voice blunt. “Seriously.  **_Fuck them._ ** It’s not your fault. And if they can deal with Korosensei then they can deal with you.” She pauses. Shakes her head. “Not that you need to be  _ dealt with, but _ … we’ve adapted to plenty of things before, haven’t we? If anyone complains then I’ll deal with them myself.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid anyone is going to  _ complain,”  _ Aguri clarifies. “...I don’t think your friends would do that. But all the same… I don’t want to distract them. I went through something very scary. They shouldn’t have to think about that at their age. They’ve got more important things to focus on. I don’t want to jeopardize their futures.”

“You’ve got a future too, though, don’t you?” Akari asks. “You should do what you want to. And if they can still look at Korosensei the same then they can do their work to accept you.” She leans back on Aguri… furrows her brow. “I bet they would. I bet they’d be happy to have you. I know I would.”

She’s quiet for a long moment.

“Not that-- you should force yourself, of course,” she says, pulling away. “If you really can’t then you really can’t. I guess I’d just… feel safer with you around. You know?” She sighs. “I’m sorry. That’s probably selfish.”

“No,” Aguri says. “It’s not. I… appreciate it. And I’ll think it over, alright? I just don’t want to make any promises.” She frowns. “I don’t want to break your heart again.”

“You’ve never broken my heart,” Akari replies. “Everything that’s happened to you… none of it has been your fault. I’m just happy you’re here now.”

“I’m… happy to be here, too. And for the record, I feel safer with you around, too.”

They eat the rest of lunch in relative silence.

After lunch comes afternoon classes. First up: gym. Aguri and Korosensei watch from the window as Karasuma herds the kids outside. He still looks stressed, but maybe less-so, now, as he shows them how to brandish a blade. They laugh for a moment-- triumphant, as they manage to strike him. But when they turn back to look at Korosensei expectantly that vigor fades. They see her standing by him and  _ pause. _

Akari called them the same… Korosensei and her. They’ve been through the same thing, after all. But Aguri simply can’t see it that way. Not only are their demeanors wildly different with Korosensei’s approachable smile, but it boils down to something even more apparent than appearance. It’s about personality. And where Korosensei is capable of masking what he’s been through-- maintaining a smile: Aguri’s… not. She never has been, and her scars are written all over her body.

(She’s outwardly broken. And Korosensei? Well, he’s not broken at  _ all.) _

He nudges food her way, asks her if she’d like to eat. He says that Akari told him that she skipped lunch… and that he’s got plenty extra if she’d like.

Aguri takes him up on the offer if only to get her mind off of things. By the time she’s done she’s still hungry and sore, but she supposes that doesn’t matter. She thanks Korosensei for the favor… and quietly returns to her seat as the kids parade back in.

The rest of the day goes by in a haze. She thinks there’s one or two more subjects, but she hardly remembers them. And abruptly the bell rings. The students stand and begin to disperse.

Akari motions to join her, but doesn’t get a chance. Karasuma enters the room and waves her and Korosensei over. Says that it’s time to head out, then. He hopes she’s had ample time to prepare.

Of course, she hasn’t. But she doesn’t voice that. Instead, she thanks him for his patience, and clings to Korosensei tight as they make their way to the lab.

(She’s thankful he doesn’t push her away.)

The two of them tell Akari to go home. She doesn’t want to, but they force her. ‘Aguri will return safe and sound,’ Korosensei reassures. And while Aguri doesn’t believe  _ that,  _ she also doesn’t want Akari to see whatever it is that’s going to go down tonight.

Eventually, she relents. But she makes Karasuma promise, too.

He answers with empty eyes.

Quite frankly, Aguri doesn’t remember what happens in the lab, either. She’s far too tired. They walk for a long time… and then enter through a pristine set of white doors. Men aim guns at her as she shuffles past-- but Korosensei holds up a hand: tells her that they can’t lay a hand on her… and she tries her best to believe him.

Eventually they arrive at a plain center-room. There plenty of important-looking people are already waiting for them… scientists and politicians. They freeze up as they look at her. She freezes up, too.

(She hates the sight of lab coats. She hates being seen)

Korosensei shares her story for her. When asked what happened, it’s he and Karasuma who explain. She stands there, silently, as they speak for her. Korosensei tries his best to go about it gently, but Karasuma occasionally butts in when further detail is required.

The men scrawl notes as the two of them speak-- interjecting with questions… ‘hmms,’ and ‘haas.’ They don’t particularly ask for Aguri’s input. They’re content with the story they’re given. And it’s not like she would contest it, even if she could.

(‘That’s what happened,’ she thinks, listening to Korosensei speak. He uses big, frightening words. ‘Human experiment’ and ‘Held hostage.’ Despite their weight, they don’t seem to make the government agents look at her with any more sympathy. In some way, she’s thankful for that.

...She doesn’t want to trouble them any more than she already has.)

They instruct her to hold her arm out and allow them to perform certain tests-- but Korosensei places himself between them. He says in no uncertain terms that they’ll be doing nothing without her permission… and that: again, he’d like proof they could escape at any time before they progress further. The government agents moan, but eventually point out a hatch in the ceiling. They say that if it  comes down  to it Korosensei and Aguri can leave through there… but they’d much prefer to get things out of the way before it comes to that.

Quietly, Aguri admits that she’s alright with having chemicals swabbed on her skin. She’s also okay with them taking a sample of her DNA. She’d just like to avoid needles, if possible. That, and being strapped down. She doesn’t think she could handle it.

“You heard the lady,” Korosensei responds. “Get to it.”

The government agents seem stunned hearing her speak. All the same, they work quickly: pressing Anti-sensei particles to her shoulder, and flinching when it earns no reaction. Other ‘potent’ materials are tested as well… although they don’t bother to explain what they are. She tries her best to ignore the potent chemical smell, and the thick, protective gloves they wear as they work.

Other men question Karasuma, but he repeats what he’s already shared. He says that he observed no noticeable weaknesses, and that this morning was the first time he met Aguri. He hadn’t expected this, either.

_ “‘Shiro’ reported simple stolen supplies from his laboratory. There was no talk of a human experiment in the first place.” _

‘Shiro’ Aguri thinks, feeling her stomach do flips. And so  _ that  _ was Yanagisawa’s code name. She hates to hear them mention him… think of him out there unsupervised.

Dutifully, a government agent removes a tentacle from her skin. It takes a great deal of effort… and maybe forty-five seconds just to saw it off, but eventually but he does get through. Aguri flinches, slightly, as he does… but doesn’t actually feel the pain. Her skin’s numb, and it’s not like she hasn’t been through far worse.

(It’s more about the idea of it than anything)

Korosensei holds her hand throughout the whole process. Although as the government agent finishes, he holds out his other hand, unfurled, in an offer. He says that if they’d like they can test the blade on him as well… if only just to reverify what they already know.

Sure enough, his skin combusts at a single touch… and the government agents’ faces go pale. The one who’d worked on Aguri hurries off, tentacle  _ writhing  _ in his hand as he goes to stash it somewhere or another.

“And so… it’s true,” a formal looking man exclaims, brow furrowed. “She really does have an entirely different set of weaknesses. This could be troubling.”

A faint whisper washes over the room. And Aguri sees a few hands shake. Professional as they are, even these men can’t hide their fear.

Their eyes flicker up towards the hatch... and the ravaged moon above. 

“Well… thank you for your work, Karasuma,” the formally-dressed man says, his voice strained. “It was good of you to report this as soon as possible. And we will try our best to concoct a solution. Things may seem bleak right now, but there are still numerous tests for us to run, and we’ll need those before we can make any concrete decisions.” He pauses. “While we’re waiting for those, all we can do is question the parties involved. Send a memo for everyone to be on the lookout for Shiro. And as for the other…”

He turns to face Aguri directly.

“We have a few queries for you.”

Much like his underling, he has the most frightening eyes. Unlike the rest of the agents, however, Aguri spots no trace of fear on his face. Instead, annoyed more than anything, he’s deadly serious... and impatient, too, at that.

“Y… yes?” She replies, voice still hushed. “What can I help with?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that the story given to me was shared by your accomplice here almost in its entirety. Can I simply receive a confirmation that all of the information shared with me is true? That it was this man, 'Shiro,' who made you?”

Aguri frowns, fiddling with her hands. On one hand… she’s pretty sure that Korosensei wouldn’t lie, but on the other hand she hadn’t really been paying attention to his tale. She’d been far too focused on the soldiers surrounding her. Will this man be mad at her if she answers ‘yes?’ She  _ thinks  _ Korosensei didn’t get any details wrong.

“Made her _ like _ this, actually, _ ” _ Korosensei interjects, staring down the man. “Yanagisawa didn’t create Aguri, and that’s a rather important distinction.”

“I don’t believe I was asking you,” the man replies. “But very well then. Is it Shiro who made you ‘like this?’ We need to know so he can be appropriately punished.”

“...Yes,” Aguri replies. “Yes. It was him. He… made me into this.” 

Her gaze drifts down to her mangled hands. She hopes that answer is satisfactory.

There were some other scientists involved she’s pretty sure, but it’s not like she can remember their names at this point. And besides… it was Yanagisawa who was the key figure. Yanagisawa and her. But she’s not going to share the latter, either. She’s already overshared far more than she’d have liked to with these strangers.

“Noted,” the man says, putting something into a keypad. Around him government agents scramble to take notes. People shuffle in and out.

Aguri’s gaze drifts back up towards the hatch in the ceiling… but she knows she can’t leave. Not yet. 

‘Just a little bit longer.’ she thinks. ‘I’ve just got to stick this out.’

“Do you have any other questions for me?” She asks. “Sorry. I’m just starting to get a bit…- bit claustrophobic. But obviously, I don’t want to leave before you’re all done.”

“Just one more, I believe,” The man replies. “But it’s important. Miss… Yukimura, was it? I’m going to need you to pass on any observations you heard this 'Shiro' person make. We haven’t been able to get our hands on his notes yet… but we believe he may have come to some conclusions that we don’t yet have the resources to find. Did  **_he_ ** figure out any weaknesses of yours? Perhaps reverse engineer your DNA?”

“I understand that this is a frightening question,” he continues, expression gaunt. “But it is for the sake of the  _ entire world.  _ If you are allowed to continue to exist and this man is allowed to continue to operate as he wishes, then life as we know it could come to an end.  **_Do you have any valuable information to pass onto us?”_ **

Aguri pauses. Hands shaking, she knows that there’s one fact she should probably share. All the same, her mouth goes dry… and she’s back there in the lab. They’ve just discovered her invincibility, and Yanagisawa is  **_pissed._ ** He strikes her again and again and again.

And despite all logic, he mars her flesh.

She does have one weakness, and she _knows_ it. But like she couldn’t share it with Karasuma earlier she **_cannot_** share it with this man. She doesn’t want to go that way. And as such… ashamed, she shakes her head.

“No,” she says. “I’m sorry.” 

She pauses.

“Yanagisawa… the things he said to me: they were often confusing and contradictory. Sometimes I didn’t even know where I was. I’d help you if I could, but…” She frowns. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

A grimace overtakes the room, and government agents look scared. The man grows indignant, furrowing his brow… but he doesn’t speak. Karasuma turns away.

Aguri feels horribly selfish. She knows she deserves every bit of this scorn. Who on earth is she? Leading these men to believe that their lives will be over in a little less than a year?

‘No,’ she thinks. ‘I won’t let them.’

She’s… not willing to go that way, but she’ll go. She’ll make sure of it. Their frightened eyes only solidify that conviction. If she has a deadline, then she won’t let it take out anyone else with her.

Instead, she’ll take this into her own hands.

She’ll… treasure what she can, if only for Korosensei and Akari’s sake. And then when Korosensei is ‘dealt with’ she’ll deal with herself as well. He has seven months remaining, and that’s less than her estimated time left. As such, she’ll just snip a bit off the end there, and...-

She won’t risk destroying the world.

It hurts her heart a little to think that Akari is going to have to deal with that. But the truth is that Akari is going to lose her either way. Her death is written in stone… and she’d have to be horribly narcissistic to take everyone else down with her just for a few extra months. There is  _ nothing  _ she can do to prevent what’s to come.

All she can hope to do with the time she has left is find a way to make it easier on Akari, even just by a little bit.

She’ll help her move on before she even has to face that. Yes, she’ll die  _ right  _ this time. And she  **_won’t_ ** hurt anyone else in the process. 

Of course… she doesn’t voice any of that. Not only is it shameful, but Korosensei’s right there. She’d never disclose her plan to him. Not when she’s sure it would break his heart as well.

“That said, however…” she murmurs. “I’m sure you’ll find a way to take me down. I’m-- er-- not exactly a strong person, and I’m sure you’re all doing your best.” She frowns. “I’ll have you know that I don’t want the world to be in danger, either. So let’s work together as much as we can to fix this… alright?”

She forces a smile. The government agents still look apprehensive… but she tries her best to convey comfort with her eyes. It’s a pretty sad thought when she doesn’t even feel comforted herself.

Their meeting ends soon after. They test her with a few more things and then give her permission to go. She’s told she’s allowed to stay around school premises as long as Asano’s permission is obtained… but she must understand that, like Korosensei, she is at a ‘risk’ of being attacked at any time. 

“No-one will go easy on you. We will be doing everything in our power to take you out. Is this understood?”

“Of course,” she replies, no emotion to her voice. 

...She would  _ never  _ expect someone to go easy on her. Not at this point.

Ultimately, she and Korosensei don’t leave through the hatch. After a curt, formal sort of agreement, they’re simply ushered out through the door. Karasuma leads them away from the government facility… although he doesn’t talk much as he does.

“It seems I’ll be in charge of you as well,” he comments, not looking her way. “I expect you to be on your best behavior.”

“Of course,” she replies, mind still full of thoughts of ending herself. “I’ll try my very best.”

The three of them split soon after. Karasuma heads off towards wherever it is he lives, and Korosensei walks Aguri to a house she doesn’t even remember the location of. He helps her inside… nudges her up the stairs and opens the door for her. There, Akari is waiting.

She jumps up from the couch and hurries to Aguri’s side… asks her how it was. She says she’d been worried about her. Thought she’d maybe not come home again.

“It went… fine,” Aguri replies. “All the people involved were very nice. I think we’ve come to some sort of agreement.”

To die by the end of the year. But she doesn’t say that.

Akari asks if the students will be expected to kill her, but Aguri says she doesn’t know. They simply said something about not going easy on her… sending people after her either way.

Akari shifts uncomfortably, but says that she’ll protect Aguri. That the rest of the class will, too. Korosensei makes a joke-- asking if he gets the same privileges, or if that’s ‘a bit above their paygrade,’ but Aguri’s hardly listening.

...None of them try to think about her deadline.

They eat dinner in relative silence. Akari occasionally glances towards Aguri, but other than that there’s a stiff awkwardness to it. Even  _ she  _ can’t pretend that things are normal. And as such, she simply treasures her presence. Aguri tries to treasure Akari’s presence, too… tell herself that standing by her for now won’t only hurt her further in the end.

(She knows that’s a lie. It’s time to disconnect. But all the same, she’d like to hold on for now.)

Korosensei ends up staying. They don’t even talk it over. It’s an unspoken agreement that Aguri wants him here right now. Akari seems uncomfortable with that to some degree… but she doesn’t argue. Simply nods, when Aguri says she’s going to head off to bed and when, in turn, Korosensei follows.

“I’ll see you in the morning, alright?” She asks. “Sleep well. And… I’m still really glad you’re back.”

“I’m glad to be back,” Aguri replies. And for once, she kind of means that.

She feels exhausted right down to her bones. But at least she has a plan. And at least feeling lost is better than feeling in pain.

(At least Yanagisawa is away from her for now)

Ultimately, Korosensei sleeps with her, but not next to her. He says that he’d like to stay close, but ‘not intrude, of course.’ Aguri feels her heart waver, but doesn’t complain. Instead, savoring what little warmth he gives off, she drowns in his presence and thanks him for accompanying her throughout the day.

“I don’t know if I could have done it by myself.”

“That’s alright. I’m more than happy to help. And I’ll be here as long as you need me.”

Still, there’s a gap between them. And Aguri will have to accept that. Whether he admits it or not, they’ll never be the people they were back in the lab. And there is  _ nothing  _ she can do about it.

...Simply drift off, uneasy, into sleep.

To her surprise and her thankfulness, Aguri doesn’t dream.

* * *

The next morning goes much like the one before. Jolting, slightly, as she awakes… it takes Aguri a moment to process that this is even real. But as she catches Korosensei sitting up on the bed, she lets out a deep, relieved sort of sigh. He waves to her… helps her to her feet, and lets her know that he was actually  _ just  _ about to wake her.

“School’s very soon, you know. I’d hate to be late.” A pause. “Are you coming again today, or would you prefer to stay at home?”

“I… don’t know,” Aguri replies. “I probably should. I don’t want the kids to worry. But I don’t know if I’m ready to make any permanent arrangements.”

“That’s fine. How about you just come with? You don’t have to do anything if you don’t  want to , but you can at least watch. That, and we can try to work something out with Asano-san. Nothing permanent, of course… but we should at least let him know you’re around.”

“Al… right,” Aguri replies. “But you do most of the talking. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

“Of course. Karasuma-san and I will take the lead. You just answer any questions he has and then the school day can begin for real. Hopefully everything goes off without an issue.”

The thought gives Aguri a headache: Karasuma and Asano in the same room. She seems to remember her boss being a pretty scary man. But all the same, she can’t complain. She supposes it  _ is  _ Karasuma’s job to babysit her, and he’s going to need Asano’s permission before she spends extensive time around  _ anyone.  _ She just hopes that he doesn’t kick her out. As better as it would probably be for the students, she thinks she  _ does  _ want to see them for just a little while longer.

She eats breakfast with Korosensei and Akari. Akari’s already up-- having made breakfast again. Korosensei tells her that she doesn’t need to work so hard… that he can make breakfast at the very least as thanks for letting him stay at their home, but Akari refuses… says that all she’s doing is paying Aguri back for years of support. 

“I’m happy to help out. And so don’t worry about it, yeah?”

She also makes sure that Aguri packs lunch. Aguri feels sheepish being doted on by her younger sister, but there’s little she can do. She’s certainly not going to  _ turn down  _ her help. She just hopes she won’t become a burden to her.

(She hopes she hasn’t already been.)

They’re out of the house by eight. The walk’s still surreal. Akari limps along… trying her best to ignore her bad leg, and Aguri slithers. Korosensei supports them both: a hand on each of their backs as the sun beats down on their face.

At least it’s a nice morning?

They meet up with Karasuma halfway up the E-Class mountain. Aguri flinches despite herself. It makes her feel terrible. She’s really judging this man harshly, isn’t she? That’s not fair. It’s not  _ his  _ fault he’s got an aggressive demeanor, and he’s probably kind deep down. But she’s just… scared. She hopes she’s not making him feel unwelcome despite his patience. She doesn’t  _ mean  _ to.

(She tries her best to purge his rude comment from yesterday from her mind. That doesn’t count, after all. She wasn’t supposed to hear that.) 

Korosensei attempts to make small talk, but Karasuma’s hardly receptive. He’s quiet-- deep in thought as he trails his way up the mountain, and only humors Korosensei with short, one-word answers. Aguri frowns, but Korosensei doesn’t seem bothered much… and simply chats with Aguri and Akari as he follows after.

To Karasuma’s credit, they aren’t particularly receptive, either.

To their surprise, someone is already waiting for them at the crest of the hill… and it is  _ not  _ one of the students. Aguri hardly even notices him at first, but Korosensei stops, suddenly, and gives a wave.

There, in the doorway, stands a serious-looking middle-aged man. He waves back to Korosensei, a sardonic smile on his face as he beckons them over… and Korosensei motions for Aguri to follow. 

_ “Who...-?”  _ Aguri whispers, glancing back and forth. She  _ swears  _ she recognizes the man, but she just can’t place her finger on it. 

With nearly combed auburn hair and a deep maroon suit, he leaves a strong impression. One arm crossed over the other as he taps his foot quietly, he observes them with an almost analytical intensity. He has tired eyes… and a small golden button pinned to his lapel.

“Ah!” Korosensei shouts. “Asano-san! I see you’ve arrived. Did Karasuma get into contact with you?”

The man chuckles… shaking his head.

“I’m afraid not,” he says in a rather deep voice. “I observed what was going on on the security cameras yesterday and figured that I’d stop by this morning to figure out what was going on myself. Now then… what is this? I don’t  _ remember  _ making any further arrangements with the government.”

“That’s because… we haven’t had the chance to get into contact with you yet,” Karasuma quickly replies. “I apologize for the delay, Mr. Principal, but we weren’t informed about what was going on either. She showed up to the classroom yesterday without any announcement. I had to make do with what time I had.”

“Ah,” the man replies, rubbing his chin. “Well then… who  _ is  _ she? And why has she shown up here on such short notice?”

And all at once, he turns towards her. His sharklike eyes laser-focused, she recognizes him instantly.

‘Asano-sama.’ ‘Mr. Principal.’

_ Gakuho Asano. _ Her  **_boss._ **

She inches back slightly… but Korosensei is willing to answer for her. His voice surprisingly calm, he says “This is Aguri Yukimura. You may recognize her as a former employee of yours. She’s made her return to observe this fine institution.”

Slowly, Gakuho’s eyebrows arch. Looking back and forth between her and Korosensei, he whispers that that seems to imply some interesting things about Korosensei… and asks how she ended up in this state.

“Last I checked, you know-- I was under the impression that you were _ dead.” _

“I… um…- _ was. _ It’s kind of a long story.”

She doesn’t know why, but he suddenly gives her the creeps. It’s funny… because she wasn’t intimidated by him at all before, but now something’s  _ different.  _ Is she just… afraid of everyone now? Or is something about  _ him  _ that’s changed?

“I’ve got all day,” Gakuho replies, unfazed. “Please… share the story. I’d be delighted to hear.”

_ “Before you hear anything--”  _ Karasuma butts in. “I’m going to need you to sign another NDA. This is top secret information. Usually, I wouldn’t be inclined to share  _ any of it  _ with you… but I understand that this is your school and we’re operating under your rules. I just need you to agree to ours, too, first.”

“Of course!” Gakuho replies with a hearty chuckle. “I’m happy to sign anything you need. You know I’d never use this information against you, Karasuma-san.” He pauses. “Though… I’m also going to need more hush money, naturally. If this woman intends to stay on my property and you intend to bring more weapons onto the premises then I  _ must  _ be financially compensated. I wouldn’t want a  _ risk  _ to my poor students, after all."

He curls his lip… turns to face Aguri.

“You  _ do  _ intend to stay, after all, right? That’s why you’re here? You’d like to teach again?”

“Um… kind of.”

“It’s a complicated situation,” Korosensei admits. “She is not sure she wants to teach at the moment, but I at least wanted her to hang around the classroom and see how the students were doing. It’s been a very long time since she’s seen them, after all.”

“Ah,” Gakuho exclaims. “I see! Noble. All the same… additional strange adults around will require additional payment. Especially ones in such strange circumstances.” He holds a hand out to Karasuma: gives him a cold look. “Is that reasonable?”

Aguri frowns. Is… the government seriously going to pay him just for her to stay here? Is that what they’ve been doing with Korosensei, too? That kind of goes against the point of a paycheck...

“Of… course,” Karasuma replies, voice stilted. “I fully intended to talk this over with you today and come to an agreement. You’ve been more than helpful with our operations so far, and I’d hate to take that generosity for granted. We’ll make sure to come to a deal that you’re satisfied with. You  _ are  _ an ally of ours, after all.”

“Wonderful!” Gakuho says with a clap. “Let’s leave to discuss things then… shall we? I’m a very busy man, and I’d like to get this ordeal over with as soon as possible.”

Karasuma nods. “Of course,” he says. “Would you like them to come with… or-?”

“No,” Gakuho says. “They have students to supervise. And I’m sure your perspective will more than suffice. I’ll talk with them again later. For now I’m more than happy to discuss matters with you.”

“Very well then,” Karasuma replies, wheeling around. “Let’s make our way over to the main campus. This is a conversation I wouldn’t want anyone overhearing.”

Gakuho nods! Giving a wave, he says goodbye to Korosensei and Aguri.

“As I said: I’ll be seeing you around soon. And I hope you can continue to keep up the good work. After all…” his tone shifts slightly. “Adequate performance will be expected regardless of your circumstances.”

And with that, he’s gone! Aguri stares as Karasuma and he make their exit. She’s not sure why… but something about his demeanor freaks her out. His words were polite, but even she can’t help but pick up on the thinly veiled threat.

He looks at her for a long moment over his shoulder as he walks. And she swears she makes out a smirk. Is he… gauging her reaction?

Creep.

_‘No,’_ she thinks. _‘That’s a little harsh. I’m sure he’s just… observing you. Making sure you’re qualified for the job.’_

After all, she probably  _ isn’t.  _ She can’t blame him for having his doubts.

Korosensei must notice her unease, because he places a hand on her shoulder. Shaking his head, he says “Pay him no mind. Despite his oppressive aura… Asano-san is a good man. I’m sure he’s delighted to see you back.”

“Mmm,” Aguri replies, shaking off her apprehension. Korosensei’s right. She doesn’t remember having any  _ huge  _ qualms with him before. She’s probably just… shaken up after everything that happened.

And it is  _ not  _ fair to take that out on him.

Reminding herself to be as polite as possible and hopefully a little more talkative next time she sees him, she straightens herself up. She looks towards the doorway and frowns.

“We should probably get heading in then, huh?” She asks.

“Indeed. I’m sure the students are waiting. And they, too, will be excited to see you another day.”

Aguri’s hardly sure about that, but they’re late enough as is. And so… nodding, and with Korosensei and Akari by her side, she slithers her way into the school building for another day on the outskirts of what she once knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Bit of a shorter chapter here, but it was nice to touch on the rest of Aguri's first day and take care of the Gakuho stuff. I'd say this chapter is a bit more of a 'tying up the lose ends of the previous chapter' chapter, but that's okay. It still served an important purpose, anyways.
> 
> I especially like how the scene between Akari and Aguri ended up. Best sisters... I wanted to emphasize that they care for each other-- and that Akari will always be the one person rooting Aguri on... no matter how little she believes in herself.
> 
> Which is why she'd be distraught if she learned what Aguri was planning. That's right: she's fully intending to kill herself at the end of this year if the government doesn't do it first. Pretty frightening stuff! Especially when she doesn't plan to share. The poor woman seriously needs help-- but that can be hard when you're in a place where you feel like you don't deserve it.
> 
> Hopefully she'll change her mind before it's too late. But will it even really matter? She's right in that the world might end either way.
> 
> ...Pretty scary stuff.
> 
> And speaking of scary: Karasuma. I was careful to build up more of Aguri's discomfort with him throughout the chapter. And this is a dislike that risks growing even worse. I hope it doesn't feel like I'm demonizing him, though. They have a pretty fundamentally clashing worldview... and something tells me Karasuma isn't taking this as well as he looks like he is on the outside.
> 
> Unlike Gakuho, who I'm pretty sure is just legitimately taking this well. Fucking weirdo. Tons of fun to write: but I kind of want to beat him to death with my hooves.
> 
> There'll be a two week gap between this and the next chapter. However the chapter after THAT will come out only one week later-- and they serve as a two-parter. Think of them as the next 'arc' of the fic. Though what they'll revolve around is still yet to be seen >:)
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were Ultimately by Khai Dreams, Circus Monster by CircusP, Blue Lips by Regina Spektor, and Be More Chill Part 1 from... Be More Chill. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed. Make sure to let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon!


	13. Feeling Time/1st Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for sexual discussion (Whether or not a character is sexually attracted to another and some crude jokes from Irina) and some unhealthy possessive/jealous behavior in this chapter. You know the deal. Tread carefully.

The next week somehow feels like an eternity and an instant all at once.

That’s right. A  _ week.  _ Aguri hadn’t expected it either.

She thinks in the middle of processing all of this she’d still been in denial somehow-- convinced that Yanagisawa was going to come back for her or that the government was going to hand her over. But as the days drag by that uncertainty fades some… and she realizes that  _ this  _ is her life now. It’s… over. At least for a little bit.

That’s relieving and terrifying all at once... and her days are hazy. It’s in bed, out of bed. To school, from school. Talking to Korosensei. Then to Akari. To the students? Sometimes. She spends more time than she’d expected staring into the mirror… and less time than she’d expected being able to sleep. Nights are the hardest. She doesn’t like lying down.

Sometimes she dreams. Sometimes she doesn’t. They’re never good.

She doesn’t dream about what things were like before all of this. It’s all now. She’s pinned to the table… or she’s out of there, but she can barely stand. Everyone’s staring at her, and  _ he’s  _ yelling.

One night she wakes up hyperventilating.

She doesn’t tell Korosensei. He’s too sound asleep. He doesn’t rest enough, she thinks. He spends too much of the day doting over her… and when he’s not glued to her side he’s occupied with the students.

...Things are weird between them.

He’s simultaneously so supportive and distant all at once. He’s kind and patient… and he helps her with everything. He’s teaching her how to maneuver her new body… to write again, and to run. But all the same, there’s a forced sort of insincerity to it. A  _ distance.  _ He looks at her like he pities her.

And… it doesn’t feel like it did back at the lab.

She remembers it so clearly; the way they talked to each other. It was all she had to cling to, and she drowned in that fantasy for months. She  _ dreamed  _ of flinging herself into his arms… returning to right where they left off. But… they haven’t. Things are different now, and he’s careful not to close the gap.

She knows it’s because of what she did that first night. And… she regrets it. But all the same, it breaks her heart. She’d been  _ so  _ certain thinking about it strapped to that operating table that he’d felt the same for her. And the thought that he  _ didn’t  _ is agonizing. Although… not nearly as much as the thought that he just doesn’t now.

(‘What if? What if he  _ did  _ see you in that way? And Yanagisawa destroyed it? Can he even bear to look at you? Or does he think you’re  **_horrific?’_ **

She’s too scared to ask.)

He’s less brutally honest. There’s no snark. No familiarity. He’s a little too kind. A little too gentle... and there’s a  _ pain  _ behind his eyes. She knows her heart isn’t the only one breaking. Seeing her like this is destroying him from the inside out. And it makes her feel terribly guilty in turn.

‘I’m sorry,’ she thinks. ‘I’m  _ sorry  _ I’m not getting better faster. But I’m trying, alright? And I… I…

I really don’t want to let you down.’

Her relationship with the students is weird as well. She’s still terrified of distracting them… and because of that she doesn’t teach. She talks to them in their offtime, though, and slowly starts to remember little things about them. She re-learns their names, their hobbies… and they do, in part, seem happy to see her.

All the same, she can tell they’re forcing themselves as well. Their smiles are a little too hollow… their  _ words  _ a little too strained. They look at her with frightened eyes, and that uncertainty carries over to their future.

_ ‘What’s going to happen to the classroom  _ **_now?’_ **

The government’s official statement is that they’re to kill her, but the effort is hardly heartfelt. She doesn’t dodge like Korosensei does. They try once, but she just sits there in the back of class… the bullets bouncing off of her skin. And it’s no fun to fight against something that won’t fight back.

She hopes she’s not ruining their fun. She tells them she’s just hardly used to this sort of atmosphere. The kids half-heartedly murmur that it’s alright. They say that they wouldn’t want to do this, anyways.

Karasuma frowns and takes notes.

Some of them even grow half-hearted in regards to killing Korosensei. He tries his best to pump them up, but things are ‘different,’ now… or at least, so the students say. He seems so enthusiastic trying to find new ways to make this fun for them. It’s weird to Aguri. The thought of him dying makes her want to curl up and cry. Why is he so eager to bring that onto himself? Is he… thinking the same as her?

(No. He’s probably just trying to make this easier on them. He’s going to die either way, after all. But he’s not suicidal. He’s  **_not.)_ **

A few of the kids apologize to her. Say, awkwardly, that they were mean to her back when she was their teacher and that they regret it. Aguri says that it’s okay. Quite frankly, she barely even remembers it. Still, they look rather guilty. She wishes there was a way to let them know that this wasn’t their fault.

(She brought this on herself, after all. But how  _ else  _ are they supposed to react? They’re watching an adult they knew fall apart in front of them

...Maybe they’d feel better if she just hadn’t come back here at all.)

She tries her best to get to know the other teachers. Both because Korosensei encourages it and because it’s less awkward than talking with the students. Karasuma’s still cold, and it’s clear he doesn’t like her… but she tries her best not to let it get to her. The students clearly love him, and so she’s sure he’s nice deep down. He’s just… distant. And Korosensei reassures her that he’s like that with everyone.

Aguri’s not sure  _ that’s  _ true... there’s a certain stiffness reserved specifically for her. But all the same, she can’t exactly blame him for being uncomfortable with her being around… and she makes sure to say good morning to him each day anyways. She’s not sure he hears that a lot. And she’d like to try her best to try and stay nice.

...He doesn’t tend to respond much beyond a curt ‘you too.’

The other teacher-- Miss Irina Jelavic-- is much more talkative. Although Aguri’s still not sure what it is she’s doing here. Korosensei tells her that she’s an English teacher, but her methods-- again, are unconventional. It seems like she doesn’t have a PHD… and when asked about her credentials she’s irritable and snappy. She says that she’s simply here on the ‘government’s terms...’ whatever  _ that  _ means.

Aguri doesn’t  _ think  _ she’s a government employee. She wasn’t let in on the same information as Karasuma. And besides… she’s way too informal! She uses crass language and makes sexual remarks all throughout class. There’s no way the government would hire someone like that… right?

(She looks maybe  _ 20  _ at the oldest. She can’t be  _ that  _ much more mature compared to the students.)

Aguri asks them one day what exactly Irina is doing around. She says she means no disrespect-- that she’s just… confused. She’s not  _ really  _ a teacher, is she?

“Well… I guess not,” Okano replies, scratching at the back of her neck. “Asano-sensei just required her to take up the role for her to come here. It’s more of an obligation than anything.”

“Come… here?” Aguri asks. _ “Why  _ did she come here, though?”

“Assassination business,” Sugino clarifies with a frown. “They brought her in to kill Korosensei. She’s apparently some top-notch professional.”

“Yeah! And a  _ seductress assassin  _ at that,” Okajima squeals. “When she’s not being a huge bitch it’s actually sort of a treat. She’s  _ hot stuff,  _ you know.”

“Kind of a weird person to send to a middle school now that I think about it,” Takebayashi admits. “But even  _ I  _ won’t deny that it’s a treat. She’s quite  _ curvaceous,  _ after all.”

“Cut that out, will you!?” Okano demands, slapping him across the back of the head. “Stop being a creep!”

“I’m not!  _ I’m not!  _ And hit Okajima, not me!”

Aguri frowns. Seductress assassin? What does that even  _ mean?  _ She’s never heard of anything like that before.

...Now that she thinks about it she guesses she _ does _ remember Reaper talking about going on similar missions: seducing and taking out high-level political figures or whatever. But does that mean--

“Seductress?” she asks. “You mean for Korosensei?”

“Yeah,” Hazama says, rolling her eyes. “Ridiculous, isn’t it? I don’t know how they ever thought  _ that  _ would pan out.”

“It was  _ super  _ funny though,” Okajima replies. “He was like--  _ head over heels for her!  _ Drooling and everything!  _ ‘Please! Please, ma’am! Tits in my mouth! I’m begging you!’” _

“Like you’re much better,” Nakamura snarks, letting out a low laugh. “I’ve gotta admit that you’re right it’s funny, though. He acted  _ nuts.” _

“I almost felt bad for her,” Sugino admits. “Imagine having  _ that  _ guy all over you. Scary stuff.” He glances Aguri’s way, frowns. “Not that that’s counting you, of course-- he’s just… he’s silly, you know?”

He tries to backtrack, but Aguri’s already somewhere else. She stares off into space as they talk about Korosensei falling head over heels for this woman. And suddenly… her head starts to spin.  _ W- what?  _ He never acted that way around  _ her. _

They must notice her looking down, because they reassure that it fell through, obviously. 

“She failed to kill him like everyone else,” Okano says. “And after that she just kind of… stuck around. I’m not really sure why… we already know her gimmick, but we’re not gonna kick her out or anything, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Sugino says. “She can be pretty nice sometimes.”

_ “And funny, at that!” _

It’s already too late. Aguri’s mind is racing. And suddenly as she watches Irina make her way throughout the day she sees something she didn’t see before.

_ A threat. _

And not in the way that Yanagisawa or Karasuma are. No. Something much,  _ much  _ more insidious... and in its own way, infinitely more scary. 

She thinks they’re in love.

She can see it in everything they do. Irina struts into class confident and classy... and Korosensei’s gaze drifts her way. She remembers what the students said about him being ‘head over heels’ and suddenly it’s all clear.  _ That’s  _ why he turned her down. It’s not that he was  _ worried  _ about her! It’s that his heart belonged to someone else.

The thought makes her sick. Although it just as quickly makes her mad at herself.  **_He doesn’t owe her anything._ ** And she should just be happy that he’s happy. But… why didn’t he tell her? And did he seriously move on that quickly? _ She thought they had something special. _

(They’re in the lab and he looks at her with curious eyes. He doesn’t look at her that way anymore. He averts his gaze... and they lie feet apart in bed.

She can’t tell if the thought of him not caring now or not even caring then, hurts worse.)

She tries to tell herself that Korosensei is too nice to pull off anything like that… but her conviction wavers. She starts to notice strangely perverted behaviors, and what once was cute soon becomes less so.

It’s not even a day later that she asks Irina if they can talk.

“There’s… um-- something that’s been bothering me… and I was wondering if we could talk about it one on one. Girl to girl?”

Irina cocks an eyebrow-- surprised, but gives a shrug. “I don’t see why not,” she says, turning on her heels. “Follow me. Let’s go out to the sex shed. No-one will bother us there.”

Aguri frowns, disturbed by her crudeness, but follows anyway. She wonders how it is that Korosensei could be attracted to a person like  _ this.  _ She’s… a little mean, isn’t she? And that’s not getting started on the way she behaves. Is Irina seriously better than her? Or…-?

(‘No. That’s not even a question,’ she thinks. ‘Of course she is.’ Sure… she’s rude, but that’s no reason to judge. And even more importantly, Irina has something that she doesn’t: 

_ Appeal.) _

It’s not just her beautiful blonde hair or the way she keeps her fingers perfectly manicured. It’s the way she carries herself: assertive…  _ attractive.  _ Irina knows exactly what she’s worth, and she is  _ not  _ afraid to wield that against others. Aguri, meanwhile…-

Well, she’s nothing like Irina.

She feels those pangs of jealousy as she trails after the other woman… and feels her stomach do somersaults. Suddenly she’s starting to regret asking to talk to this person at all, but it’s too late to back out now.

Irina makes her way into the _ (distinctly  _ unsexy) shed and lights a cigarette as she steps inside. She apologizes-- saying she’s been trying ‘get off of this shit, lately,’ but that the situation is ‘too batshit not to.’ She needs to take the edge off.

Aguri frowns, but gives a polite nod. Irina has a point… she can’t particularly blame her for being stressed. And it’s not like she notices the smell much anyways.

She feels a little lightheaded standing there alone with Irina… but then again she supposes that’s the norm as of late. No matter how much she eats or how much water she drinks there’s a throbbing migraine she’s been unable to shake, and her stomach feels weak. She’s lethargic... tired. She asked Korosensei about it, but he’d said that would probably be the norm, at least for a little while.

_ ‘Your body is consuming a lot of energy, you know.’ _

(Aguri glances down at her malformed legs.)

...Yeah. She knows alright.

Irina pops open the window… leaning out and glancing back over her shoulder to lock eyes with Aguri. “And so what the hell did you want?” She asks, skeptical. “I’ve got a pretty packed schedule, you know. This better be important.”

“Well, um… I’m new to the class… yeah?” Aguri asks. “Or at least-- being back. And I couldn’t help notice that you fill a pretty different role from everyone else. You don’t have a teaching degree and I was curious about that, so I asked the students.” She pauses. “Is it true that you’re some sort of… seductress assassin? Or were they just messing with me?”

Irina’s quiet for a long moment… taking in a deep breath of her cigarette. Finally, she sits up and turns around fully. She looks at Aguri with bewildered, unimpressed eyes.

“Are you stupid?” She asks, scoffing.  _ “Don’t tell me it seriously took you that long to pick up on that.” _

Aguri grimaces, face flushing blue. Taking a step back, she opens her mouth to speak, but Irina beats her to it.

“Yes,” she says. “I’m an assassin. Why? Do you have some sort of problem with that? You said it yourself that it’s been a very long time since you were in this classroom. Things have changed around here. There  _ is  _ a world-threatening octopus to deal with. The government called me in to take him out.” She frowns. “Don’t tell me that’s seriously phasing you when there’s a bunch of kids with shotguns.” 

“Well… no,” Aguri replies, fiddling with her hands.  _ Reaper  _ was an assassin, after all. It’s more of… um-- the other thing that’s getting to her. 

“I was actually wondering about the seductress part.”

Irina pauses again… recognition dawning in her eyes. Lowering her cigarette, she shakes her head.

“Oh  _ god.  _ Is that what you’re worked up about?” She asks, dismissive. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t planning to come onto you. I do  _ not  _ get paid enough to whip my tits out for women I don’t even know will fall for it. And it’s clear you know my gimmick, anyways. That  _ kind  _ of defeats the point.” 

“I’m still under direct orders to kill you, of course,” she continues. “But don’t worry: the evil seductress isn’t going to  _ fling herself at you.” _

“P-pardon!?” Aguri asks, face flushing red. “N- _ no! _ That’s hardly the problem! I wasn’t worried about --  _ gosh!  _ I didn’t even think of that! I was way more concerned about the two of you! Is it true you _ seduced _ him!?”

Irina pauses… letting it sink in for real this time. She cocks her head, concerned. “Who? You mean the octopus?”

“Yes, ‘the octopus!’” Aguri replies, covering her face with her hands. “Korosensei! I didn’t mean to gossip… but I asked the kids about what you did for a living and they told me that you were brought in to flirt with him. Is… is that true? Are you…  _ you know, or--?” _

She drifts off… ashamed. She feels silly even saying it, but that’s what she came here to talk about, isn’t it? She can’t beat around the bush any further. She has to know if they’re an item.

(If they’re in _ love.) _

Irina’s nose wrinkles. Stunned, she asks “‘You know?’ You mean... _fucking?_ **_Christ,_** no. I’m not a _prostitute._ I make baby eyes at some guy and then leave him dead in a back alleyway. It’s not anything more than that.” She rolls her eyes. “I don’t think I could have sex with _that thing_ even if my life depended on it. Why? Do you seriously care?”

“Well… um-- maybe a little,” Aguri admits. “I don’t mean to pry, but...--”

Her gaze drifts downwards.

“Oh,” Irina says.  _ “Oh. _ I get it now,” she grimaces. “You’re  **_jealous._ ** I’d almost be disgusted if that weren’t so fucking funny.” She shakes her head. “No.  _ No.  _ I’m not attracted to the octopus. In fact, I’m a little offended by the notion. What sort of low-brow, low-standards sort of person do you think I am?” 

Aguri just now realizes that she’d been holding her breath. She lets out a sigh… relaxing, slightly, at Irina’s words. At least until she remembers what they imply.

‘I’m not attracted to the octopus,’ she says… but--

“What about him to you?”

Irina blinks. “‘Scuse me?”

“You don’t have feelings for him, you say,” Aguri explains. “But what about--? I mean… how does he feel about  _ you?  _ The kids said he acted pretty bewitched. Something about-- putting things he shouldn’t put in his mouth in his mouth? I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “But they also said that… you failed to kill him? Uh-- obviously? How did that go? Was it some kind of failed attack, or did he just finally see through you and turn you down?”

Aguri stares, desperately, down at Irina. She shifts from tentacle to tentacle, trying her best not to seem nervous... all the same, however, her hands start to shake.

Irina’s expression shifts slowly. Going from annoyed to something closer to dubious, she turns on her feet and leans out the window once more. She takes a longggg breath of smoke… quiet, as she stares out over the field. 

“You are, like…  _ pitifully insecure,”  _ she comments, unimpressed. “‘See through me and turn me down?’ Seriously? What sort of savant do you think this guy  _ is?” _

“Well… I didn’t mean that as an _ insult--” _

“And I didn’t take it as one. I know what I am. But you are putting  _ way  _ too much faith in men.” Irina scoffs. “Did you seriously expect him to turn me down for  _ you?” _

Aguri pauses, frowning. ‘Of course not,’ she thinks. But still… hearing it said so bluntly: it stings a surprising amount.

_ “No, _ he didn’t reject me. He drooled all over me until I dragged him out back insinuating we’d have sex, and he was thrilled the whole time. Only reason I didn’t manage to kill him is ‘cause I got stubborn and insisted on using lead bullets. If it weren’t for that he’d be one dead, horny, motherfucker.”

“Not that I’d take it personally, of course,” she continues. “Yeah, sure… he was attracted to me at the start there, and he might even still be. What do I care? But that’s no accomplishment. He’s not exactly a difficult catch. The guy wants to stick his dick in everything that moves.”

Aguri frowns, more than uneasy. Some part of her wants to stick up for Korosensei… but she remembers the way he looks at Irina with captivated eyes. Akari makes a comment about the  _ porn stash  _ he keeps hidden under his bed, and she hears whispers of the students almost being convinced he’d participated in a  _ panty  _ raid. How many times is it now that she’s seen his face flush that signature pink? And have any of them been towards her?

‘No,’ she thinks.  _ No.  _ She’s certain. He’s an easy catch, alright. And he’s attracted to everyone. Everyone except--

“...Except me.”

Aguri’s voice is a whisper. She’s sure Irina can barely even hear her. Slowly… tears start to well in her eyes, and her breaths start to quicken.

Irina turns around, confused and unsure, she asks “Eh?”

_ “Except me,”  _ Aguri repeats, shaking. “He’s a hopeless romantic… willing to look at everyone on the planet that way except for  **_me._ ** He fell for you-- a woman he barely even knew-- but he can’t even bear to look at _ me _ anymore. What on earth is it that I’m doing wrong?! Is it my personality, or… or--?” She drifts off.  _ “Is it something else?” _

“Oh god…” she whispers, hands drifting up to cover her face. “Who am I even kidding? It’s how I look. Though I’m sure it’s my personality, too. **_Look at what Yanagisawa did to me._ ** He made me into a--  _ I’m just--  _ **_no…_ ** _ he’s right!  _ It’s what I always was. I can’t even blame it on him. I can’t believe I let myself think it was something different.”

Before she even realizes it she's started to shake. It takes all her effort just to keep from crying.

“I can’t believe I let myself convince me he’d ever think about me that way--” she says. “But it was just-- _ it was all I had for so long! He was the first person to be nice to me!  _ I thought that maybe… maybe--  **_I don’t know--”_ ** The dam collapses. Slowly but surely she starts to sniffle. “I thought that he at least cared back then! But he moved on so quickly. Did he hate me even before I became this?”

Sniffles escalate to hiccups. Hiccups escalate to sobs. She bats at her eyes... takes a step backwards. She can barely even hear Irina at this point.

“It’s not like I could blame him,” she continues. “I mean--  **_why would someone ever choose me!?_ ** And it’s not like-- it’s not like he had any other options. I was the only person he could interact with. Of course he convinced himself he cared about me. Now he’s just seeing me for what I really am.”

(She can hear it again and again in the back of her mind. She’s strapped down to the table and Yanagisawa reminds her that Reaper  **_never_ ** really cared about her. She tells him that he’s wrong. He has to have. Reaper  **_did_ ** care. If he didn’t, then what is she even here for?

Yanagisawa’s quiet for a long moment, lip twitching. But finally, he reminds her that even if he did care, he certainly won’t anymore.

“After all, you’ve been ruined.”

**_“I’m_ ** the only person who could ever love you now.”)

She wants to curl up and die. Letting out breathless, ragged sobs, she presses herself back to the wall and collapses to the ground. She knows she’s humiliating herself in front of this stranger, but try as she might, she can’t even  _ begin  _ to regain her composure. Each time she tries she feels another wave of pure nausea rise up from her stomach and into her chest. She thinks that she’s going to pass out.

“And I know that--  _ I know that he doesn’t owe me anything…  _ but it just hurts--  **_it just hurts so much!_ ** _ He was the only one who ever made me feel like I was special.  _ Seeing him move on like that…” she weeps, caterwauling as she shakes her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do! I’m so scared.”

“I’m sorry.  _ I’m sorry,”  _ she repeats. “I’m probably scaring you. You should just go. I didn’t mean to-- _ I’m like  _ \--  _ insulting you.” _ Her breath quickens. “I’m just--  **_I don’t know what I’m gonna do now._ ** I really thought that… I really thought that-- maybe… it was--  _ no.  _ **_No!_ ** It wasn’t-- And now I’m going to--... oh god!  **_I'M GONNA DIE ALL ALONE!"_ **

(She doesn't want that! She doesn't want to think that she already **_has._ ** )

She can hear Irina shuffling around faintly somewhere in the outer edge of her consciousness… but Aguri can barely make it out. Instead, utterly consumed by her own despair, she rocks herself back and forth and curls up tight. She knows she’s acting ridiculous, but what else is she supposed to do!?

It just feels like it’s been building up for so long! And  _ this  _ is the straw that broke the camel’s back: another woman being better than her.

_ How could she ever expect anything else? _

Yanagisawa told her from the beginning. He  **_told_ ** her that she wouldn’t be happy even if she got out. And so why didn’t she believe him!? Why did she let herself leave!? Now she’s here with a sister who doesn’t recognize her! A set of students who are afraid of her! A Reaper who probably wishes she’d just stayed dead!

(And why didn’t she!?)

She never asked for any of this! She  _ never  _ wanted to survive! She just wanted to **_die..._ ** there, in _ his  _ embrace. Why couldn’t she pretend, even just for a minute?

**_Why couldn’t the illusion last?_ **

She presses herself back up against the filthy shed wall… cradles her head and hangs her gaze low. She’d thought she left this sort of hurt behind a long time ago… but here it is yet again. What is that? Just more proof that she’s weak?

She’s still crying... mid-wail, when Irina’s voice cuts through the air.

“Here,” she says. “Just… take these already, alright? My arm’s getting tired.”

Slowly… Aguri’s gaze drifts up. Still shaking, she swears she makes out something clutched in Irina’s hand. Impatiently tapping her foot, she stares down at Aguri.

_ (It almost looks like she’s holding…-) _

“W… what?” Aguri whispers, voice raggedy. _ “Are those--?” _

“Tissues,” Irina interjects. “I keep some stashed in my pocket. And so accept my generosity already, will you? I can’t stand to hear your bellyaching for another minute. I’m going to get fucking  _ sick. _ ”

She seems fed up… but when Aguri doesn’t respond she crouches down low. She waves the set of tissues in front of her face, glowering. 

“I’m sorry for making you cry or whatever, alright? I didn’t mean to mock you. Don’t get me wrong… I don’t really care what you think of me, but if we’re going to be working together for the rest of the year then I do  _ not  _ want to deal with this nonsense. It’d be stupid to make an enemy out of you. Buck up already. Seriously.”

In any other situation… she’d perceive it as harsh. But somehow, despite the ringing in her ears, Aguri’s gaze just keeps drifting back to that handful of tissues. And before she even knows what she’s doing, she’s collapsed into Irina’s embrace.

She doesn’t even reach out for the tissues. Simply wraps her arms around her shoulders and buries her face in her neck.

“Thank you,” she says. _ “Thank you.” _

Irina tenses… clearly shocked. But before she can even speak Aguri says it again and again: that heartfelt, heart-rending thank you.

“...I think I really needed that.”

Irina doesn’t hug her back… just kind of sits there, shocked. All the same, though, she doesn’t push the crying woman away. Simply says “You really are desperate, huh? That was kind of the bare minimum there, you know.” She’s quiet for a long moment. “...I think I can see why you ended up so worked up over this.”

Slowly… she stands. Dragging Aguri to her feet with her, she passes over the tissues and then finally breaks away. Aguri whimpers slightly at the motion, but dabs at her eyes and whispers another thanks.

Irina doesn’t respond. Just kind of watches… silent, as Aguri stares at the ground.

Finally, she speaks up.

“Listen. Don’t--  _ don’t take it personally, _ alright? That was never my intent. I was just trying to insinuate that…- ‘boys will be boys’ or whatever,’ you know?” Her nose wrinkles. She rolls her eyes. “Which is to say fucking shallow. I don’t know why you’re looking to  _ that  _ guy for validation, anyways. He’s kind of a creep.”

“I don’t think  _ that’s  _ true,” Aguri responds, sniffling. “He’s… a good person. And he means a lot to me. It’s not his fault he reacted the way he did. I probably wouldn’t be attracted to me either. I guess I just… put too much on his shoulders. Expected more than I was ever going to get. And that’s something for me to take the blame for. Not him.”

“Mmm,” Irina responds, clearly unimpressed. Carefully, she looks Aguri over.

Her breaths have steadied some. She thinks she’s still crying, but the hug helped. She hopes she hadn’t freaked Irina out too much. She just gets… emotional sometimes.

“Do you want me to grab more of those?” Irina asks. “It might not be enough.”

“No. It’s fine,” Aguri says, wiping her nose with her hand. “This is fine. I already appreciate it a lot.”

“Okay, then. Just making sure.”

Aguri blinks fast. Her head’s started to pound, but it’s not much of a new sensation. She doesn’t even realize she’d been breathing heavy until Irina tells her to slow down.

“Just… count to sixty or whatever, alright? You don’t want to spiral into another breakdown.”

“Sixty?” Aguri asks, tilting her head. “That’s pretty long. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone instruct  _ that  _ before.”

“Well I’m no fucking expert,” Irina responds. “I’m just repeating what I’ve heard the octopus say. And you seem pretty damn on edge… so maybe you  _ need  _ the extra however-many seconds.”

“Mmm,” Aguri replies, looking down at Irina. It’s funny. Despite the crass language, she’s surprisingly sweet. She’s still not looking directly at Aguri-- trying to seem tough or whatever, but she can still spot the small glances she sends her way. She taps her foot… lets out another impatient huff.

Shutting her eyes, Aguri does as told.

‘1… 2… 3...’

_ ‘60.’ _

And there it is. Some facsimile of calm washes over her once more. She knows it’s just numbness deep down, but she still appreciates it in comparison to the alternative.

“I’m… feeling a bit better,” she says, letting out a deep breath. “I’m sorry for freaking out in front of you. It must have felt pretty awkward.”

“Eh,” Irina says. “I expected something awkward from the minute you said you wanted to speak with me alone. I don’t exactly do these ‘one-on-one, girl-to-girl’ talks well. ‘specially when it comes to  _ jealousy.”  _ Her lip curls. “I am the token bitch of the class, you know.”

Aguri frowns. She’d been wondering about that. It’s kind of weird that the students refer to her that way. Sure, Irina’s  _ unique,  _ but…-

“I don’t think you’re a bitch at all.”

Irina pauses, expression unreadable. Finally, she turns and says “Mmm. Thanks.”

“I’m sorry if it felt like I was insulting you earlier,” Aguri explains. “My issue isn’t with you. Not really.”

“Usually I’d ask ‘with him?’ but I’ve got a feeling that’s not the answer,” Irina responds. “With you?”

“Yeah,” Aguri says. “Something like that.”

Irina puts out her cigarette. Aguri stares. She hadn’t even realized she’d still had it lit up until now.

“What are you going to do now?” Irina asks, leaning out the window. “You got some kind of plan?”

“For the rest of the day, you mean?” Aguri responds. “...I’ll probably go back to class. I won’t cry there. I’ve gotten it all out, I think.”

Irina’s quiet for a long moment. Scoffing, she says “No, I don’t mean for the rest of the day. I mean for everything with the octopus. What are you going to do about your inferiority complex?”

“Oh,” Aguri says. “I… don’t even know.” She frowns. “Just keep it all bottled in, I guess. Like I said: it’s my issue to deal with. Not his.”

“And so that’s how you’re going to spend your last year? Feeling like that? Sounds  _ stupid  _ to me.”

“It’s not--”

“Yes. It is.” Irina turns back towards Aguri. “Listen… I don’t believe in ‘true love,’ or whatever… this is probably going to end horribly. But if I were you I’d at least want answers before I bit the dust. An explanation for why he was treating me like such shit. You said it yourself earlier, right? ‘What am I doing wrong?’ The only person you’re going to get an answer from is him. And so why don’t you ask him?"

“Oh…” Aguri says, shaking her head. “I could never.”

The thought makes her sick. Not only is it something she doesn’t want Korosensei to have to deal with, but it’s  _ never  _ something she could manage to voice on her own. And it’s not like it really matters. She’s spent her whole life feeling like this, anywa-

“Why don’t you let me ask him for you, then?”

Aguri stares.

_ “Pardon?” _

“I’m a seductress, right? It’s what pissed you off so much in the first place. But I was thinking about it… and why don’t we use that to our advantage? I think I found a way that we could use my skill set.”

“Of course… it’s not something I would usually do,” she continues. “In fact, I think it’s kind of fucking gross. But think of it as a favor or whatever, alright? Some kind of… peace offering for making you freak out. An olive branch.”

“What is it?”

“An attempt to break his heart.”

**_“W-what!?”_ **

“Okay! Well, maybe not ‘break his heart!’” Irina quickly clarifies. “But. To see his true colors! Find out if he really likes me or not.” She pauses. “That’s what you were so worried about… right? Because listen: I already know that the octopus is  _ attracted  _ to me. But  _ in love with me?  _ I  _ sincerely  _ fucking doubt that. And I think I can give you proof of it.”

“I’m going to confess to him. Fabricate a story and tell him that I’m head over heels. I’m not sure if you’ve picked up on this already, but I can put on a  _ good act...  _ and it’s been  _ way  _ too long since I’ve gotten up to some mischief.” She gives a devilish grin. “Let me wrap him ‘round my finger. And the minute he turns me down then you can-”

“Didn’t you already do that?”

“...Eh?”

“Didn’t you already… pretend to be into him?” Aguri asks, cocking her head. “If you’re not being real about it then why would he fall for it this time?”

“Well first of all he’s dumb as a sack of bricks,” Irina says, rolling her eyes. “So write that down. And second of all... I think I can manage to frame it differently this time. I’ll say I’ve fallen for him ‘for real.’ That… of course, I was just trying to manipulate him at first, but that after getting to know him I actually _am_ now in love. It may sound ludicrous, but trust me when I say that these sorts of people tend to think with their dick. Once I throw myself all over him he’ll believe me. Then it’s just a question of whether or not he actually takes the bait.”

Aguri’s still not sure about  _ that…  _ but she supposes that Irina is the expert. She’s a seductress assassin. She should know what she’s talking about. And besides, who would dare doubt when someone like  _ that  _ put themselves up for offer? She knows  _ she  _ wouldn’t be able to turn Irina down in Korosensei’s shoes.

Which means… it’s not a question of whether or not Irina can actually pull this off. It’s a question of whether or not Aguri is willing to go along.

“Don’t look so uncomfortable,” Irina says, miming a gag. “Seriously... I’m not trying to steal your Area 51 reject. I just want to get you off my back. If he says no --  _ and I have a feeling he will-  _ then you can at least stop worrying about me. And if he says yes then I’ll, like, pump him full of bullets or whatever.”

_ “W-what!?” _ Aguri sputters.  **_“What_ ** _ did you just say!?” _

“Pump him full of bullets,” Irina repeats, giving a nonchalant shrug. “This is the perfect opportunity for an assassination attempt. And if he really was willing to move on so quickly after you getting shiskabobbed then he probably deserves it. I can set up a trap and then--”

**_“Absolutely not!”_ ** Aguri shouts, staring. “I _ never  _ said I wanted to hurt him! Where did you get _ that _ impression!?”

Irina frowns. Lip twitching, she says “Nowhere in particular. I just thought that if we had an opportunity we should utilize it.”

“No.  _ No.  _ And he  _ doesn’t  _ deserve it,” Aguri argues, stubbornly shaking her head. “Korosensei has every right not to like me. I wouldn’t really blame him, frankly. If this is… if this is making me feel bad then that’s an issue for me to deal with, not one for him to suffer for. I don’t want anything to happen to him. I just want to know the truth… and even that’s pretty selfish. So don’t you dare do anything to him on top of that.” She pauses… drifts off. “Is that the only reason you offered to help me? As a chance to take him ou-?”

“No,” Irina interjects. “Of… course not.” She huffs. “I still think you’re wasting a  _ huge  _ opportunity, and for that alone I’ll call you stupid, but if you want then I’ll go through with it-- no assassination involved. At least… not during the confession. After we’re done with our little scheme he’s fair game again. Ya got it?”

Aguri does  _ not  _ ‘got it,’ but she knows she’s not in a position to argue. As much as she hates to admit it Korosensei is still seen as a threat to the planet. She can’t exactly blame Irina for her position. Especially not when she’s still being so cooperative.

“And so what do you think?” Irina asks. “You down? Or are you going to sit here crying for the rest of the year? Whatever it is… I’m willing to offer my full cooperation.”

Aguri pauses… thinking it over. Irina’s attitude disturbs her to a certain extent-- especially combined with her insistence on assassination. But all the same… she’d  _ really  _ like to know. What if this is her only chance?

Will it… hurt if Korosensei says yes to Irina? Thinking about it, Aguri doesn’t think she could bear it. But even so… maybe that immediate heartbreak would manage to hurt less than the uncertainty. Does she even have a choice? 

“...Yes,” she says, voice a whisper. “I’ll do it, I mean. I’d like to find out what he thinks about me.” A pause. “...I’d like to find out if he’s moved on.”

It’s only briefly that she thinks about how this will probably hurt him. About how he might just go through the same heartbreak she is right now when Irina inevitably turns his words on him. But there’s no going back. And she  **_has_ ** to know, whether it’s selfish or not.

(She’s always been a shitty person. She’s not going to start pretending she’s above accidentally hurting other people  _ now.) _

Irina looks genuinely surprised… almost as if she didn’t expect Aguri to agree. But quickly her demeanor brightens and she gives a wicked grin. Snapping her fingers she says “Let’s get to it, then. I’ll return to class. And once school is out I’ll set the scene. You watch from a distance, yeah?” 

“We’ll manage to find out what’s really in this guy’s heart. **_Mark my motherfucking words.”_ **

* * *

The rest of the day flies by a lot quicker than Aguri expects. Her and Irina return to class after lunch with no issue. Korosensei waves them over and Karasuma glances, briefly, up from his laptop. The students dive right into Home EC classes… and Aguri sits there in the back as they work. Needless to say, her mind wanders.

She’s already kind of regretting this plan. She knows in a way that she’s manipulating Korosensei… and that hurts her heart. He’s still being so patient with her: nudging her, gently, to try and participate in class. Of course she turns him down... she doesn’t want to distract the students, and there are certain subjects she’d rather not participate in, but all the same, he understands without so much as a complaint. Is  _ that  _ the person she’s doubting cares about her?

(‘Yes,’ she thinks, stubborn. ‘Yes it is.’ He’s nice, but there’s no taking these things at face value. She won’t accept that kindness… especially not when every glance towards Irina sends her heart plummeting into her stomach.)

She  _ has  _ to get answers. And it wouldn’t be fair to Irina, either, if she backed out now.

At the end of the day, she starts to leave with Korosensei and Akari by her side. Irina, on schedule, approaches and asks Korosensei if they can talk alone. Korosensei says that he’ll be just one minute… and then makes his exit. He follows Irina out to behind the school, and Aguri watches, curious.

Akari asks Aguri if she wants to start heading home now-- that she’s sure Korosensei will catch up-- but Aguri declines. She says she has something she remembered she needs to do, actually.

“Just… wait right here for a second, alright? I’ll be right back.”

And with that, she follows after the two of them

Irina gave her full permission to listen in. Admittedly it still feels a bit like eavesdropping, but Aguri wasn’t sure that she could trust in this woman’s word. She’s… crafty. And there was no guaranteeing that she wouldn’t either make things sound harsher for an ulterior motive or softer to spare Aguri’s feelings. She’d like to see whatever goes down for herself.

She stays sidled to the side of the building. She can’t spot Korosensei or Irina from where she is… but she can hear them just fine. And besides, that’s proof that they won’t see her, either. Good. Good. She’d hate to be caught.

“So then… what is it you wanted to talk about, Miss Irina?” Korosensei asks, curious. “It’s not like you to want to talk to me like this one-on-one.”

“Well…” Irina says, almost casually. “There was actually something I wanted to confess to you. But it’s not something I wanted to risk the students overhearing. So keep it quiet, alright?”

“Of course,” Korosensei replies. “What is it?”

Aguri glances over the corner and tries to get a look at Korosensei’s face. She can’t make it out… he’s indistinct as ever. But Irina, somehow, looks small. Aguri’s not sure what she expected in a seduction, but it wasn’t this. She’d really meant it when she said she was going about this differently, hadn’t she?

“Well… it sounds kind of embarrassing now that I’m actually saying it, but I’ve got to tell someone. Korosensei… you’re the only one I could admit this to,  _ but I think I’ve fallen in love!” _

“In love!?” Korosensei asks, stunned.

“Yes! And with…- with--  **_blegh!_ ** I can’t believe I’m saying this, but with _ you!” _

Aguri can tell that Irina’s having fun playing up the character. Her shy demeanor-- her syrupy words… they’re all sorts of over the top. If she weren’t in this exact situation right now she’d almost laugh.

This person really is good at what she does, huh?

Korosensei lets out this squeak sort of sound. Shocked, he says “With  _ me!?” _

“Yes!” Irina says, covering her face with her hands. “With you! I can’t believe I’m saying it, either. But please… just hear me out.” She leans in closer, pouts. “I know I’ve tricked you before. But what I’m about to say… it comes from the  _ heart.  _ And as such, I’d like you to know what’s made me feel this way, even if you’re going to turn me down.”

Korosensei pales slightly, shivering at the almost-touch. Aguri leans in further… watching them intently. And Irina bats her eyes, giving him an innocent look. Korosensei scoots backwards slightly, giving a firm nod.

“...Very well then,” he says. “Please, go on. I’d love to hear the full situation.”

He’s on edge… although Aguri can’t tell if it’s the good sort or the bad. Is he anxious? Upset? Or is he  _ eager?  _ Making sure he can truly believe those words before he  _ leaps? _

“As you know, Korosensei… I was sent here to seduce you,” Irina whispers, stepping in closer. “And while at first it was an act… something  _ surprising  _ has happened as I’ve gotten to know you. I think that I’ve fallen for real.”

“I know it’s absurd…” she continues. “But to keep up the act I’ve had to learn every aspect of your personality... find out your likes and your dislikes. And underneath I’ve found a surprisingly alluring man. A person I think I could trust in.”

She creeps in closer. Sidles from foot to foot.

“Of course… I used to think you were strange,” she admits. “A laughable sort of obnoxious person. At best you were a piece of meat I could catch… some sort of far-off, unobtainable, target to wrap my finger around. But as you’ve continued to resist my temptations, I’ve only become all the more enamored. You’re incredibly strong-willed, Korosensei.” 

“I’ve been seen as a piece of meat all my life too, you know,” she murmurs, giving Korosensei a sorrowful look. “Of course… I’ve long since accepted that role. But the idea of being with a man who sees me as more than that… well, it’s almost too alluring to resist.”

She  _ purrs  _ as she slides her finger down Korosensei’s cheek. Grinning, she says “And you  _ are  _ that man, aren’t you? You seem like a degenerate at first… but  _ I  _ know the real you. And I know there’s something more going on there under that demented facade.” 

“Not only are you a truly multi-talented man-- I mean… just look at your past, but you’re  _ kind,  _ too. Look at how you behave around the students. You’re so nurturing with them! Who else could be capable of such things?”

And it’s the truth. Aguri agrees full-heartedly. If there’s anything that Korosensei is it’s  _ sweet.  _ He’s warm-- wise--  _ welcoming. _

“And of course you’re  _ smart,  _ too, on top of that,” Irina continues. “I mean… so  _ educated _ . What a  _ leader  _ you are, Korosensei.”

And that as well! He was smart back then and he’s even smarter now. Aguri remembers so many intellectual conversations… hours spent bantering over this concept or that.

“Alongside  _ mysterious,  _ of course,” Irina says. “You’re brooding, aren’t you Korosensei? You don’t tend to talk about yourself… and there’s  _ still  _ so much I don’t know about you.”

At first that gives Aguri pause.  _ She  _ knows quite a bit about Korosensei. But then again she remembers that pretty much anything Reaper told her back then could have been a lie… and there are  _ still  _ elements of his past that she doesn’t understand. No. Irina has a point. Mysterious is right. The elusive assassin. The superpowered beast. He’s almost too mystifying to even comprehend.

“It comes with your stoicism, I suppose. You  _ are _ responsible.” 

Wait.  _ What? _

Stoic? Now… she’s not sure  _ that’s  _ the word she’d use to describe him. Sure, he was a bit aloof back in the lab, but he’s  _ much  _ more open now… and Irina never knew him back then, anyways.

Plus, what’s this about responsibility?

Aguri’s not sure she’d call him responsi-  _ of course he’s  _ **_very_ ** _ admirable-- don’t get her wrong!  _ But  _ responsible!?  _ He runs the Assassination Classroom! There are much more responsible people out there.

“And in a way, I appreciate that. Your distantness can make you respectful. That might not seem like a lot, but I treasure that more than I’d like to admit.” A pause. “Being seen as something different for once.”

Respectful… in what way? Aguri’s brow furrows. Suddenly Irina seems to have gone off-script.

Of course she’d agree that Korosensei is respectful… but with regards to  _ sex?  _ He’s…  _ kind of not!  _ That’s why they’re having this whole intervention in the first place. What is Irina talking about?

Thinking about it… what was that earlier!? About Korosensei not treating her like a piece of meat? He--  _ he totally does!  _ Are they even talking about the same person?

No.  _ There’s no way.  _ They’re not.

Suddenly, it hits Aguri.

It had come on so gradually that she hadn’t even realized. But Irina’s dramatism from the start of her confession has long since faded. Of course, she’s still lying, but her tone has slipped into something much more genuine... and that over-the-topness is now just a shield to mask vulnerability. She sidles from foot to foot… staring up at Korosensei, and Aguri knows she means what she says.

But… she doesn’t mean it towards him, does she? No. She’s not describing him. And she’d been more than clear about her disgust. All the same, she means it  _ somehow,  _ and Aguri’s mind wanders.

Where, exactly, is she drawing this fountain of inspiration from?

She’s not given much time to dwell on it. Irina continues on just as planned.. looking even smaller than before.

“And that’s why I had to tell you this,” she admits, giving a long pause. “Of course… you don’t have to accept-- I don’t really care. But I just thought I should let you know. That you... that you changed my life in that way.” Her face flushes red. She gives an annoyed pout. “And so what is it? Are you interested? Or is that going to be a no?”

Korosensei’s quiet for a long moment. And as he steps in closer to Irina Aguri feels her heart race. But ultimately he places a hand on her shoulder and sighs.

“Miss Irina… I’m deeply flattered, but I’m afraid I don’t return those feelings towards you. As much as I hope that you can continue to feel that way in the future,” he says awkwardly. “--Seen for who you are… many things have come to light recently, and…” he drifts off. “I’d like to think them over before I even consider getting into a relationship of any sort.”

Irina wilts-- faking disappointment. However, shaking her head, she says “I understand. You have a past with the new woman, right?”

Aguri freezes up. Completely unexpecting to have been mentioned, she feels her limbs  _ lock.  _ She’s received some kind of the answer she wanted from Korosensei-- but what is he going to say in response to  _ her  _ coming up? Is he going to mention what happened the other night? How he had turned her down too?

(Is he going to mention just how uncomfortable it made him?)

He’s quiet for a bit… thinking. His face flushes pink-- then that same shade of sorrowful blue. Turning, he says “Something like that.”

“The… situation is complicated at the moment,” he continues, starting to walk. “But… either way it’s changed things for me. And whether or not the relationship is a possibility I’ve got to keep that in mind. It’s very possible my heart will always belong to that person.”

_ ‘That person,’  _ Aguri thinks, clutching at the grass.

That’s her.

And so… why did he turn her down, then? Did he really mean it… what he said about just being worried about her? Or is it that-- is he--?

...Is he in love with the old her?

She doesn’t know. But either way, her heart sinks. She feels terrible for listening in on this. She feels terrible for putting Korosensei through this at all. She shouldn’t have doubted him. Of course he cares about her! He’s been nothing but nice to her since the moment she got back.

What sort of person  _ is  _ she?

Irina follows after, asking “Oi. Where are you going? I don’t think we’re finished here.”

“I believe it’s time I get going. I apologize if I’ve left anything unanswered for you Irina, but I should return to Akari and Yukimura-san. They are probably waiting for me. And I’ve already taken much longer than I anticipated. I wouldn’t want them to worry.”

“At least…-- at least promise me that you’re not gonna tell anyone about what we talked about today, octopus! And I mean that!  _ If word of this gets out to the students then I’ll fucking kill you--” _

“I can reassure you Irina,” Korosensei says. “Nothing we shared will be exchanged with the students… or with anyone else.” He pauses. Gives a mischievous grin. “Not that I think that matters much. It’s rather obvious either way."

Irina’s face flushes red. Seeming genuinely embarrassed for once she shakes her head and grumbles, “Fuck you.” Nevertheless, she allows Korosensei to make his exit. And as he returns towards the front of the school Aguri rejoins Akari at the door. 

The funny thing is… she almost believes she got away with it. 

Korosensei doesn’t comment on his conversation as he regroups with the two of them... simply gives a wave and says that he’s ready to start heading back whenever they are. Aguri gives Irina a silent thanks as she starts to depart-- promises to talk to her more later. Of course she doesn’t say any of this aloud… and she  _ really  _ wishes she’d grabbed her phone number, but Irina seems to understand. She gives Aguri a thumbs up and a wink. A mischievous sort of ‘you’ve got this.’

Now… Aguri’s not really sure about  _ that,  _ but she’s glad Irina had been willing to help her out at the very least.

The three of them don’t talk much on the way home. Akari briefly brings up something she did with her classmates, but that’s about it. Korosensei hums quietly, and Aguri wonders what his answer had meant… what he said to Irina. He told her that his heart would always belong to that person, but that’s kind of complicated, isn’t it?

(Should she be flattered? Or is she supposed to be  _ hurt?) _

When they arrive back at the house Korosensei asks her if she’d like to go for a walk. Aguri stares, asking “What?” but he simply responds that it’s a beautiful day.

“I wouldn’t want to put that kind of weather to waste. And besides… while Akari needs her rest, it’s not too late for  _ us  _ to get some fresh air, at least.”

...He doesn’t directly say that he wants to talk.

Nevertheless, Aguri picks up on it. And glancing away, she asks if he’s sure that that’s a good idea.

“Are you… are you sure? We’ll kind of stick out in public, I mean.”

“You still haven’t seen my disguise, have you?” Korosensei asks, giving a grin. “Don’t worry about it. I have a feeling that we’ll just be just fine.”

His ‘disguise’ ends up boiling down to a ratty wig and a stick-on-nose. Aguri just about laughs when she sees it. She tells him that he can’t be serious. There’s no way that people won’t notice  _ that. _

“No-one’s noticed yet,” Korosensei reassures. “People pay a lot less attention to others than you’d think, Yukimura.”

They have to end up cobbling her own disguise together. Korosensei tells her that she doesn't need one-- but she insists. She’s not as inconspicuous as he seems to think… and besides, even if she  _ were  _ she still doesn’t want to be seen. He seems sad, but understands... helps her pull an oversized hoodie up over her head and cover her malformed arms. 

“Looking wonderful,” he says with a smile. “Let’s get going, then.”

Aguri lets Akari know that she’ll be gone for a bit. Akari seems hesitant-- but lightens up some when she learns that Korosensei will be coming with. She asks if Aguri would like her along, too.

“I believe we’ll be fine,” Korosensei says. “While your company is very much appreciated… your leg still needs rest. And I believe there are some things that your sister and I should discuss.”

Suddenly, Aguri feels like she’s in trouble.

And her suspicions are confirmed when a few minutes into her walk Korosensei turns to her and stares at her with quiet eyes.

"Okay," he says. "Would you like to talk about what just happened? You  _ were  _ involved after all, weren't you?"

Seems  _ she's  _ not quite as inconspicuous as she'd thought, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Women's rights? More like women's WRONGS.
> 
> There's a lot going on here. I couldn't stop thinking about how quickly Korosensei "moved on" after Aguri's death in canon and thought it would be worth discussing in this fic. It sort of spiraled and then what do you know... Aguri has another terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 
> 
> It was interesting exploring her dynamic with Irina. She starts the chapter off not really liking Irina but by the end there she's warmed up to her some. This is partially only bc Aguri is a very simple person to impress, but I /do/ feel like they actually have a lot in common, and I"m excited to explore their budding friendship further throughout the fic even if it started on extremely aggressive terms.
> 
> Aguri's behavior is... not admirable. Though of course that's only fair considering she's been out of literal actual hell for a slightly more than a single week. All the same, I hope this chapter doesn't end up feeling like it's encouraging/condoning jealous behavior or treating being someone with unrequited love as the ~ultimate sadness.~ That's one of my biggest pet peeves in media. There's a lot more to it deep down than just being in a relationship or not. Aguri's built up this mental image of Korosensei being her savior... and now that she can't live some dream life with him a lot of stuff feels like it's collapsing for her.
> 
> Of course that doesn't even necessarily mean he's not into her. There's a lot of nuance /she's/ missing out on too in why he turned her down, and hopefully they'll discuss all of that in the next chapter.
> 
> Writing the scene where Irina 'flirts' with Korosensei was a bit of light in an otherwise extremely tiring chapter. It was so, SO funny to have her go over the top... and surprisingly sweet when she ended up improvising to talk about someone else. Aguri will realize who that person is sometime soon. God knows she'll tease her to hell and back for it.
> 
> The next chapter will be part two to this mini-arc, and be uploaded in a week. Hope you're looking forward to Koroagu actually talking about their issues as much as I am!
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this chapter were Devil Town v2 by Cavetown, Kiss that Grrrl by Kate Nash, Positive from Legally Blonde, I Don't Like You from Galavant, Don't Lose Your Head from Six, Pretty Funny and When He Sees Me from Waitress, Tango Maureen from RENT, and Popular from Wicked. Though my favorite song out of all the ones from this chapter was actually Feelin' Kind of Naughty from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
> 
> "Hey cutie, don't know if you knew  
> But I've kinda got a girl crush on you  
> You're everything that I wish I could be  
> Gonna tell you what I wanna do to you  
> (Tee-hee-hee!)
> 
> I wanna lock you in a basement with soundproof walls  
> And take over your identity  
> I wanna cut the silky hair right off your head  
> And slurp it up like spaghetti
> 
> Wanna clone you and consume you  
> Wanna own you and cartoon you  
> Fly your dirty panties like a kite  
> (Kite!)
> 
> 'Cause I-I-I-I'm  
> Feelin' kinda naughty tonight
> 
> Sorry I said that creepy stuff out loud  
> That was super rando  
> I meant to say I wanna do cutesy stuff  
> Like pillow fight or go swimmin' commando."
> 
> ...Alright, then!
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed. Make sure to let me know what you thought, and I'll see you soon!


	14. Feeling Time/2nd Period

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same warnings as last chapter. Tread carefully if you're not comfy with jealous/possessive behavior and a few NSFW comments/jokes. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy!

"Okay," Korosensei says. "Would you like to talk about what just happened? You  _ were  _ involved after all, weren't you?"

And Aguri feels a little bit like she's been hit by a bus.

Because yeah, sure... planning a fake confession to the guy you have a crush on with your brand new friend is mortifying in and of itself. But being caught in and called out on it? That's a whole new low.

“Involved with… what?” She asks, not looking his way. She continues to walk. They're a bit down the street now, and she'd prefer not to look at him. “I mean-- what happened? Did something go wro-?”

“Irina,” Korosensei interjects. “The situation with Irina.” He pauses… tilts his head. “Your smell was all over her. And that’s not her typical sort of behavior. Did you… ask her to do something? Or did she put you up to that?”

Aguri’s quiet… stopping in place. She bites down on her lip, but doesn’t speak.

“I’m not going to be angry if the answer is yes,” Korosensei continues. “I’d simply like to know. If she’s picking on you or attempting to hurt your feelings, then--”

“No,” Aguri says quickly, breathing almost hard. “No. She… she didn’t do anything,” she repeats. “She was just trying to help me. Please don’t be mad at her--  _ oh my god.” _

She blinks fast. As much as Irina hurt her feelings with some of the things she said, she doesn’t want her to get in  _ trouble  _ because of her. Aguri is the one who’d approached Irina. And ultimately Irina hadn't done anything wrong. She tried to bury the hatchet. It’s Aguri who’s still…  _ still- _

Well, she doesn’t quite know. But doing something wrong.

Korosensei gives pause… stopping as well. He turns back to look at Aguri, something  _ indistinct  _ in those beady white eyes. And face flushing blue he says, “I was not going to be angry with her either. Please do not worry about that.” Another long pause. “That said, however, I’m glad to hear that you’re… getting along.”

He takes a step forward. Adjusts his cap, slightly. 

“What was that, then?” He asks. “If not something you were put up to? You said she was… trying to help you?”

“Uh, yeah,” Aguri says, almost ashamed. “She offered to… do that,” she admits. “Talk to you about that, I mean.”

“Why?”

Aguri doesn’t answer.

“...Would you like to talk about it, too?”

Aguri shifts slightly. Shaking her head, she starts to say ‘Not really…’ but drifts off.

This is never going to leave her if she doesn’t bring it up.

While she appreciates what Irina did for her… she doesn’t feel any better than she did before all of this happened. She still doesn’t have the answers she needs. And none of those are ever going to come to her unless she talks to… to--

(To this unapproachable person.)

Her lip twitches slightly. She frowns. But even so-- despite the shaking of her hands, she manages to whisper “Is it… true that you were in love with her? Back when she first came to class?”

It comes out more accusatory than she intends.

Korosensei pauses. Tilting his head slightly, he asks “What?”

“The students told me,” Aguri says. “And… Irina agreed. She said that… that back when she first came to class she was able to seduce you. And that you were- _ were really head over heels for her.  _ You turned her down just now, but… why? Was it just because you knew we were setting you up? Or has something changed since then?” A pause. “You… you did think she was pretty, right? Back when you thought I was still…” She drifts off. “You know.”

Korosensei flinches a bit.

(Neither of them can bring themselves to say ‘dead.’)

“Well,” he says slowly, seeming to think over his words  _ very  _ carefully. “I will admit that Miss Irina is a  _ very  _ attractive woman… and I appreciated that for sure back then. I do even now. All the same, however, a serious relationship was never even up in the air. I had a hunch from the beginning that she was manipulating me… and I played along if only to get her guard down. Once she made her attempt on my life all pretenses of romance were destroyed… and we’ve had a strictly platonic relationship ever since. She has no such feelings for me in reality, after all.”

“...And what if she did?”

“Pardon?”

Aguri’s fist clenches.

“It’s not about- _ \- it’s not about what she actually feels,”  _ she whispers, blinking back tears. “What if she  _ did?  _ What would you have done then? Would you have dated her?”

Tension hangs in the air. Aguri's gaze is harsh, and Korosensei almost looks like he doesn't know what to say. Deep in thought, he glances up at Aguri, then back down. And almost too professionally, he straightens his tie out only to say, “No. I do not believe I would have. I hold no such feelings for Irina.”

And there it is. Her answer. That’s what Aguri wanted to hear, right? And so… why hasn’t the tension relieved from her body? Why is she still staring at this person she's supposed to care about with such accusatory eyes.

“It’s not just about her.”

“What now?”

“It’s… not just about her,” Aguri says, voice soft. “Irina has been… very nice to me. And so I don’t know why I feel this way about her. Even if she  _ were  _ in a relationship with you I’d be happy for her. Surely she’d deserve it. But… she’s not the only one you look at that way.”

“‘That way?’” Korosensei repeats, incredulous.

“...Akari told me that you keep a porn stash hidden under your bed," Aguri says, voice starting to waver. "The students say that you’ve oogled people on the street. And I can't stop thinking... 'W-why? Isn't that so soon after... what happened?' 'Are these people doing something that I'm  _ not?'" _

Her breath quickens a bit. She hates even admitting it to him, but her heart starts to ache. What else is she supposed to say? It  _ is  _ that that's bothering her, right?

“Yukimura,” Korosensei says, voice deeply serious. “I understand why your feelings are wounded, but I am a person with human needs. There is no way I was going to be able to suppress those urges for the rest of my life. Your loss deeply wounded me, but--”

“And I wouldn’t expect you to!” Aguri clarifies. "Oh my god.  _ Oh my god.  _ Of course not. _ ” _ She drifts off... blinks fast. “If I really was dead… then of course I’d want you to be happy. _ Of course  _ I’d want you to be with someone else. But… she seems to have shown up so quickly. Did you really move on from me that fast?”

The thought  _ hurts.  _ She thought they had something special. And the idea that there's not... that she was just any other person to him-- it's the worst thing she can possibly imagine.

"...I know that’s a ridiculous question to ask,” she continues, hands drifting up to her cheeks. She hasn't started crying yet, but somehow she feels close to starting. “We weren’t even together. But  _ I  _ felt something. Didn’t you? Or was I just…-- just deluding myself? I  _ really  _ thought that something was there.”

“And when I think about-- about there not being,” she murmurs, breaths becoming a bit harder. _ "I completely freak out. _ It was all that I clung to for so long. You were all that I had. If I wasn’t… if I wasn’t as important to you, then I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Yukimura-”

“I fantasized about it!" She continues, blinking back tears. "The two of us! It was…  _ it was all I could think about in that place.  _ And now that I-- that things aren't like I thought they'd be I don’t know what I’m going to do. I see you attracted to all of these people and I go 'What am I doing wrong? Did he never feel that way about me? Or is it a-- is it a new thing?' I don't know what I'd do if there was almost something there. If we-- we were really going to  _ you know  _ but all of this ruined that for me. That you hate me now because of what I've become." 

There's no holding back the tears. She starts to sniffle-- hiccup as she speaks.

_ “Yukimura--” _

“It's like... I missed you every day! I _never_ once stopped thinking about you! And now… _now--_ oh my god! It's like you can’t even bear to look at me! _”_

**_“Aguri.”_ **

Aguri drifts off. She hadn’t even realized just how much she'd started to cry up until this moment, but his stern voice snaps her out of it. Her face feels raw... her eyes red. And Korosensei stares at her with an intense, crestfallen look. 

He reaches out to grab her shoulder. Clutches it tight.

“First of all,” he says, looking taken aback. “I don’t hate you. If there is  _ anything  _ you are going to get out of this conversation then I want you to know that I would never,  **_ever_ ** hate you. And second of all…” he pauses. “I never stopped missing you. Regardless of what I did, I  **_never_ ** once forgot about you.  **_You_ ** are the only reason I am living this flawless dream life. Without my promise to you I would have  _ nothing." _

_ “You  _ are the reason that I met the students.  _ You  _ are the one who stopped me from my rampage. Without you I would have  _ nothing.  _ And so please,  **_do not doubt my dedication to you._ ** You are one of the most important people I have ever had in my life.”

“Aguri, you are my best friend. And I am so,  _ so  _ happy that you’re alive. I’m sorry my behavior managed to make you feel this way. But you are and always will be more than enough.”

He squeezes her shoulder. Tight. In any other situation, it would almost make her scared.

The sheer conviction to his voice leaves her stunned. And yet the kind words leave her doubting. He so genuinely sounds like he believes that. But… how? And if so,  _ why? _

_ Why  _ did what happened that night  _ happen? _

(More than anything she just wanted to escape to that perfect life with him)

“You… still turned me down,” she says. “...You keep saying all this stuff about how I’m important. About how much you care for me. But you’re avoiding the big word. Did you…- _ you know?  _ Or was I just assuming?” She sniffles. “I know it’s selfish to ask-- you don’t owe me anything. But I’ve-- I’ve got to know! I think about it and I get so  _ sick.  _ Please just tell me clearly. Was I… was I ever that sort of person to you? Did something change? Or was it never there in the first place?”

Korosensei's quiet for a long moment.

“Were you… ever that sort of person to me?” He repeats.

_“Did you love me?”_ Aguri clarifies, giving a defeated shrug. “Not as a friend… and not as a companion, but were you ever _attracted_ to me? I know it doesn’t matter… and I know it’s not even really about how you feel, but I put so much stake into thinking about those things. And I became…- I became so convinced that they were the truth. Thinking that they weren’t… it makes me feel like I can’t trust my perception of other things, either. That… that none of what we had was real.”

“And I’m not saying that as a threat!” she sputters. “I’m not trying to-- I don’t want you to...  _ if you don’t feel that way then I just want you to tell me. _ But… but teetering on the edge like this: it makes me feel so scared. Especially when it feels like you’re avoiding looking at me at all.”

“Avoiding… looking at you?”

“I think that’s my biggest fear. Because I swear…- I  **_swear_ ** you saw something in me before. And I’d almost rather you tell me you didn’t! Knowing I was delusional would be better than knowing I was right… knowing that something changed. And that I-- I screwed this thing up. That you don’t like me anymore.”

“I changed your life. I made you happy,” she whispers. “But… what about now?  _ What _ am I doing for you now? Are you really thankful I’m here... or am I just making you sad?”

“I know it must be pretty bad to look at,” she continues. “Especially when we were so close before. But I’m not  _ trying  _ to be ruined. I’m  **_not._ ** I didn’t want to…-- I didn’t  _ want _ to look this way… or- or to act like some crazy person. But it’s just…  _ it’s so hard…  _ and the truth is I was always like this. Yangisawa just made me look like what I am inside. I don’t know why you didn’t see it before.”

She shakes as she stares down at the ground. Tears dribbling down her cheeks, she bites on her lip and avoids looking his way. 

Korosensei is quiet for a long moment. Sighing slightly, he shakes his head and says “...Ah. So that’s what kickstarted this. I see.”

He takes a step closer. She takes a step back. He motions to remove his hand from her shoulder, but she doesn’t let him. Clinging to it tight, she presses it down to her arm.

...He doesn’t fight. Instead, leaning down, slightly, he says:

“Aguri. I said it once, and I will say it again: I am so,  _ so  _ happy you are alive… and nothing is going to change that.” He pauses. “My world was  _ wrecked  _ when I thought I’d lost you. You were the only person who ever saw good in me. And I will  _ always  _ be thankful for that.”

“Of course… there are downsides to this situation,” he continues. “Things that make me sad. But  _ none  _ of that has to do with you being ruined. If I’ve been avoiding looking at you--  _ and I apologize if I have--  _ that is in no way because you are ‘destroyed.’ I’m simply heartbroken that you went through the same thing I did. And it hurts me to think about.”

“That does not mean that that is your fault. And that does  _ not  _ mean that you are doing something wrong by being here. Do  _ not  _ apologize for making me sad. You are  **_not_ ** the one doing that. The only person hurting me is Yanagisawa, and that is just because he hurt you.”

“You are not ruined. Allow me to repeat that: you are not ruined. You are beautiful, and you are kind, and there is  _ nothing wrong with how you are handling the situation.  _ You have been out of that place for less than a month. Of course you’re behaving ‘irrationally.’ That is not a display of brokenness. That is a trauma response.”

“That said, however, I  _ cannot  _ date you. Because this is a trauma response, too… Aguri. These things that you’re saying about me being perfect… about  **_me_ ** being the person to determine your self-worth. They are  _ dangerous.  _ And you should never be in a position where you’re allowing  _ me  _ to decide that  _ for  _ you.”

_ “But… but you have to!”  _ Aguri responds. “I mean… I can’t do it on my own.” She wipes at her nose. Breathes in deep. “I’ve felt this way all my life. Stupid. Worthless. Annoying. But you made me feel different. You made me feel like someone  _ amazing.  _ And now… now…-” she drifts off. “I don’t feel that way anymore.”

She turns slightly. “I am  _ never  _ going to feel good about myself. I’ve… pretty much already accepted that. But if even you can’t see the good in me… well, then, it’s pretty much the end for me.” A pause. “I’ve got nothing left to fight for.”

“I  _ do  _ see the good in you,” Korosensei responds. “Aguri… not only are you my best friend, but I have all sorts of feelings for you. In a perfect world I’d like to be with you, too. However, not only would that be taking advantage of you while you’re in a vulnerable state, but I am  _ not  _ this person you seem to think I am. It’s more than clear you’ve spent a lot of time fantasizing about this ‘dream life’ with me… and I am  _ not  _ that person. I  _ cannot  _ fix things for you. I will do everything in my power to  _ try,  _ but I am not flawless… and I do  _ not  _ want to let you down.”

“You would… you would never let me down,” Aguri whispers, letting out a sniffle. “I mean that:  **_never.”_ **

“I already have in many ways,” Korosensei admits. He squeezes her shoulder. His face goes a deep blue. “I allowed you to die because of my outburst. And then when-- miraculously-- you were saved, I  _ failed  _ to find out and allowed you to suffer for  _ months.  _ I  _ did not  _ do my due diligence, and if I had then we wouldn’t be in this situation right now. Not only that, but I’ve continued to allow your feelings to get hurt even now. These are not flaws that would subside simply due to a relationship… and there are  _ many  _ ways I could hurt you in the future.” 

“I do  _ not  _ feel comfortable having that degree of control over you,  _ nor  _ having that much on my shoulders. I am happy to be there for you when you need me… but I cannot  _ be _ with you Aguri. Not like that. There is  _ still  _ so much healing that you need to do… and you are not at a point in time where you can see me for who I really am.” A pause. “Of course, that is  _ not  _ an instruction to hurry the healing process. Take as much time as you need. But part of that healing will be accepting that you are still worth so much without me.”

Aguri wants to argue. But... as much as she hates to admit it, he has a point. He  _ has  _ failed her. And… he can’t give her what she wants right now. He  **_can’t_ ** love her.

_ ‘He wants to, though,’  _ she thinks. _ ‘Isn’t that what you wanted to hear? He  _ **_wants_ ** _ to be with you. He just… can’t. Not when you’re like this right now.’ _

‘This.’ Which… isn’t saying broken. At least not in his terms. She’s not broken. She’s sick.

(‘Aren’t those the same thing?’ she thinks, but covers her face with her hands. ‘No Don’t think like that right now. Don’t you dare spiral. Not when he’s being so kind.’)

“Do… do you really mean that?” she whispers. “All those things about me still being worthwhile? N… not broken? Loveable?"

Korosensei’s quiet for a long moment… hand still on her shoulder. Finally, he removes it, his grip drifting down to her palm.

“...Come on,” he says. “We should get back to walking. Standing here in one place isn’t good for either of us. Why don’t we go somewhere with a better view?”

Slowly, he guides her down the street. She toils after, clinging to that hand for dear life. She's still crying a bit, but she supposes it's less intense.

Korosensei reaches up to wipe at her cheek. He dabs the tears away gently, still walking as he speaks.

“...Is it Yangisawa who said those things to you?” he asks. “About you being broken? Unlovable? You know that you should not listen to anything he says.”

Aguri frowns.

“Not when in this case he’s right,” she replies. “I mean… some of it comes from him,” she admits. “But I think a lot of it comes from me, too. I’ve had a lot of time to think this stuff over… how I feel about myself. And I think he just expedited it. I’d hate myself either way.” 

This… isn’t new, after all, is it? She thinks back to before she was in the lab. Back to before she met Yanagisawa. Back to before college and back to before she had grown up things to worry about. She’s thirteen years old and her mother’s dead and her sister’s crying in the other room. Her dad hasn’t come out of his study in a week.

Akari’s shrieks ring in her ears. She doesn’t even know what she’s doing, but she waddles over to the two-year-old-girl. She picks her up carefully, whispering “...Hey. Hey. It’s okay. I’m here now.”

(Akari doesn’t stop crying.)

Her dad never officially asks her to take care of her sister. The responsibility just falls on her shoulders. That’s okay, though. Aguri puts on her best brave face and tries to help out. She plans birthday parties… hangouts. She teaches Akari everything that she knows… and she watches her grow up before her very eyes.

(She watches her grow into a  _ superstar.) _

Suddenly Akari’s famous. And suddenly Dad is paying attention. Aguri’s twenty years old, and she tells him that she wants to be a  _ teacher. _

His lip wrinkles slightly, but it’s all she’s ever had passion for.

‘Not enough,’ he thinks, and she thinks it too. ‘Your sister’s a celebrity, and you want to be a  _ teacher?  _ That’s  **_it?’_ **

She’s twenty-two years old when the family stock crashes. There’s nothing that she can do to help out. If anything, she’s just depleting the funds more. Her dad doesn’t need to worry about her and college.

_... _ She’s twenty-three years old when she meets Kotaro Yanagisawa.

_ He _ saves the company… swoops in and does what she couldn’t. Dad tells her that he’s planning to leave if she doesn’t offer him her hand in marriage: that everyone is depending on her. That she’s got to keep her loved ones safe. The thought makes Aguri sick, but she knows that there’s not much she can do.

...This is finally her chance to help. And all she has to do is be enough.  _ Enough _ for this strange, frightening person.

(She never is.)

She tries her hardest. She tries with  _ everything  _ in her power. But he never tells her that he loves her, and ultimately when he pins her down to that pristine white lab table… she'd had a feeling that something like this was coming from the start.

_ (She’s so, _ **_so_ ** _ fucking scared) _

She’s Aguri Yukimura. She’s a burden on her family... and she spent most of her life following other peoples’ dreams instead of her own. She’s never been asked out by a boy or told that she’s really  _ needed  _ by a company. She just sort of drifted by. And try as she might, she doesn’t think there’s  **_any_ ** unlearning that.

“...He called me an ‘it’ sometimes,” she finally admits. “That hurt, I guess. I didn’t think of that one on my own.”

“That’s terrible,” Korosensei replies.  _ “Do you hear me?” _ he asks.  **_“That’s terrible.”_ **

“Mmm,” Aguri replies.

He seems so mad. His face flashes black for just a split second. Aguri thinks that she should be scared… but she can’t be. Her limbs feel heavy… and her body lethargic. She leans on his side as she walks.

He’s the one she really wanted to be enough for. He’s the one who made her stop feeling this way… if only briefly. That’s why she wanted to be acknowledged by him so bad, right?

(...That’s why she felt so stood up for.)

“He also told me that… you’d react badly,” She admits, absentmindedly reaching up to rub at her eyes. “I guess that’s why I was so worried about you secretly hating me now. He said that… that you’d be repulsed by me. Scared of me. That he was going to take away the one thing I ever had.”

“...I’m not the one thing you’ve ever had.”

“He said he’d take away my sister, too.”

“He hasn’t,” Korosensei replies. “He  **_hasn’t._ ** And he… hasn’t taken away me, either.” He pauses… tilts his head. “Do you really think I’m that shallow?”

Aguri shrugs. Giving a sniffle, she admits “...Kind of.”

Korosensei continues to walk.

“Sorry,” Aguri quickly tacks on. “I didn’t mean t-”

“Don’t be,” Korosensei says. _ “...Don’t be.  _ Don’t worry, I get it.” Another pause. “Your view… however, is fundamentally false. _ Not about me, _ but about _ yourself. _ Yanagisawa is  **_wrong_ ** to have said that you’re unlovable… either by me or by anyone else.”

Aguri shifts slightly. Rubbing uncomfortably at her arm, she gives a frown.

“I know that may be hard to believe…” Korosensei admits “But allow me to put this into terms that you may better understand. A situation that you may be more inclined to empathize with.” He turns back towards Aguri... tightly squeezes her hand. “I still have worth in your eyes, don’t I?”

“...What?”

“I still have worth to you, don’t I?” Korosensei asks. “You’d like to be in a relationship with me. You clearly think highly of me. Why shouldn't you extend that kindness to yourself?”

“That’s different,” Aguri insists.

_ “Really, _ it’s not,” Korosensei replies. “We have been through similar things. And although I may appear to be handling it better on the outside… I have my unhealthy coping mechanisms too. I have gone through the same changes that you have. And yet… you still see something worthwhile in me. Find me  _ attractive,  _ even. It may sound unlikely, but is it  _ really  _ so unimaginable others will end up seeing you in the same way? That they already do?”

“It feels like… it feels like you’re taking this in such  _ stride,  _ though,” Aguri responds. “I mean… look at how well you’re doing with the students. Meanwhile, I’m just sitting in the back of the class afraid. And it’s not like… it’s not like the attractiveness thing is the same, anyways.”

“And what do you mean by that?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” Aguri says. “You’re… different than before, but you’re not like me.”

“Last I checked I looked rather like an emoticon printed stress ball. The bar’s not as high as you think.”

“At least that’s  _ cute,”  _ Aguri says. “You’re… cute. And I’m not.”

“Now I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Yes. It is. It’s… pretty objective,” Aguri replies. “Sure… you don’t look like a person, but you’re  _ approachable.  _ Meanwhile I’m-- ...I just feel so bad to look at. And that’s not Yanagisawa talking. That’s a conclusion that I came to on my own.” A frown. “I already wasn’t a very pretty person before, and now it’s even worse. It’s a miracle when someone can even bear to even look at me. No-one’s going to find me pretty at  _ that  _ rate.”

“That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it, though?”

And… she’ll stand by that.  _ She objectively thinks Korosensei is cute. _ Sure, he’s not the charming prettyboy he was before, but he  **_radiates_ ** softness. Meanwhile she…- she has  **_nothing._ ** Carmine veins. Haggard face. If she saw herself she’d run.

**_“No._** _It’s not,”_ Korosensei responds firmly. He sounds almost mad. And although that anger quickly fades, his certainty does not. “And I know that. Because I _do.”_

He pulls Aguri in close. Never once stops walking… but slows, somehow as he presses her shoulder into his.

_ “I do.  _ I am… not willing to be in a relationship with you right now, but  **_want you to know_ ** that you  **_are_ ** attractive in my eyes, and you never will stop being. You are the most  _ wonderful  _ person to me.”

“How?” Aguri asks, voice quiet. He’s warm to the touch, but somehow his presence is smothering. She’s not sure whether she wants to collapse into his embrace or pull back with disgust.  _ “...How _ am I beautiful like those other women?  _ Objectively _ I’m not like them, and I know that you know that too. You can say all of these kind things, but what do they mean without examples?”

Ultimately it’s her who comes to a standstill. She stops walking. Frowns and looks down into his eyes.

Korosensei looks back up at her, unphased. His conviction still not wavering, he says “...You want examples? Okay.”

He turns slightly.

“Truly, I am not the one who should have bearing on your self-worth. That said, however… I understand the place you are in right now, and because of that, I will share the following with you. However, I  _ do _ want you to know, Aguri… these things I am saying: they are things I can only hope to hear from you one day, too. And I say them out of a hope to foster them in yourself.”

“You are… one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. Not only in your personality… your overwhelming kindness, and your belief in others, but yes, in your appearance as well.” A step closer. “You have in no way been ruined. Do you hear that?  _ You have not been ruined.”  _

“You were beautiful before, and you are beautiful now. You have beautiful eyes… gentle hands, and there are things-- _ yes, _ even new things… that I am enamored by. The hue of your tentacles shift when you’re happy or sad… and each time I’m left a little bit in awe. Regardless of what’s happened to you, you  _ are _ and always will be beautiful to me. And while yes, I’ve been attracted to other women before…"

“None of them I have  **_loved_ ** like you. I know it may seem that way… and me 'moving on' so quickly must have hurt your feelings. But I promise you, Aguri, I  **_never_ ** forgot about you… and I  **_never_ ** fell in love with anyone the way I did you. Yes, Irina and others are pretty… but  **_you_ ** are the one who changed my life.  **_You_ ** are the one who had faith in me. And  **_no-one_ ** could ever mean to me what you did back then.” A pause. “...What you still do.”

“Yes… it feels a little strange to say. But… even as your friend, and even as someone who should in no way define your self-worth, you’re beautiful to me, inside and out.”

Aguri stares. She hadn’t realized it up until now, but they’ve come to an overpass. Her gaze drifts down towards the ground, and she feels her heart flutter as her hands start to shake. Slowly, tears trail down her face once more… and she lets out a pathetic, desperate-for-air, little hiccup.

It’s so…  _ so  _ hard to believe those kinds of words. Those kind--  **_unfathomably_ ** kind words. After so long in the lab… she resolved herself to never hearing anything like that again… and yet--  _ yet-- _

(He's defying her expectations, even now.)

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” She asks, stifling a sob. **_“Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?_ ** I  _ needed to hear that so badly.  _ Even now I’m not sure that it’s real!”

“Aguri,” Korosensei says, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I did not want to mislead you. Now would be the worst time possible to get into a relationship with you.” A pause. “I understand now that you needed reassurance… but at the time I was so,  _ so  _ scared of coaxing you down the wrong path.”

“I do not want you to forget what else is beautiful in this world. I am happy to be here for you. But there is so,  _ so  _ much more for you to treasure. Allowing you to become codependent would be a  _ crime.  _ Especially when there’s so much else worth fighting for.”

“I am but a  _ small  _ thing to you. Is that understood? I know it might not feel that way right now, but I  **_am._ ** You have a sister who loves you more than anything… students who want to see you do well. We live in a beautiful place. And I do not want to be your sole reason for getting out of bed in the morning.”

“Until… you’re in a place where you can treasure those things, I don’t want to become a distraction. That is all. And so perhaps on the day when you can view things differently,  _ then  _ we can talk about this again.”

It weighs heavy on Aguri’s heart... in some ways makes her feel bad for doing so badly. All the same, though, his words have merit. And she thinks she gets what he's saying. Especially when they're backdropped against a beautiful sunset.

She hadn’t noticed it either up until now, but the sun’s peeking down over the horizon. Washing the sky in an arrangement of gorgeous colors, the clouds glow red… yellow, a bright orange-- and the rays feel warm on her face.

Unconsciously, she takes a step closer. Korosensei places a hand on her arm as she looks out over the overhang.

She’d… forgotten how much she missed this, too. Isn’t that another thing she clung to in that terrible place? It wasn’t just the memory of Reaper. It was the memories of sunsets, rainstorms, fresh snow and springtime that also gave her strength. How could she ever disregard that?

She leans on his side, slightly, as they take in the view. Korosensei freezes a bit, but he doesn’t pull away.

“Alright,” Aguri says, wiping at her eyes. “Alright. I think I get it. I’ll give you time, and I’ll give myself time, too. I’ll… try my best to see what you see.” A pause. “Both in the world and in myself. Even if that might be hard."

“Good,” Korosensei replies. “And… I’ll try my best, as well. Both to not mislead you more in the future and to try and respect your feelings.”

“...I appreciate that.”

“I hope that by the time that this is all done I can see you teaching again. I know that you’re scared… but I think that the kids would really appreciate it.”

“I dunno about that,” Aguri replies. “More than anything I’m scared of scaring them.”

“You wouldn’t,” Korosensei replies. “And besides… it wouldn’t have to be anything big at first. You could start small.”

“Mmm.”

“You’d do a great job.”

Aguri’s quiet for a long moment. Shifting, slightly, she asks “...You really think that?”

“Of course,” Korosensei says, almost curt. “You’re the one who inspired me to want to teach. I’d never doubt in your potential.” A pause. “Of course… if you truly don’t want to, I won’t push. But it always struck me as something you were passionate about.”

“I was.”

Korosensei steps in slightly closer. Squeezes her arm.

“He doesn’t deserve to take that from you.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s not still capable of it.”

“...Yeah,” Korosensei says. “I know. But all the same, I mean everything I’ve told you today. About you teaching and… all of the rest. That comes from the heart.”

“Everything?” Aguri asks. “You meant all of it?”

“Yeah,” Korosensei says. _ “...All of it.” _

Some part of her is tempted to ask again if he meant what he said about her as a person. About her personality and even more than that her body. But her mouth runs dry, and when she doesn’t speak, this time it’s not out of fear.

She… believes him. She believes what he said about her being kind and, god forbid-- beautiful. She’s still not sure she can see it herself, but… that’s okay. At least she knows that he believes it… and that the other people around her do, too.

_ (‘Your students aren’t going to be scared of you.’ ‘Your sister still loves you.’ ‘They’re not going to run from you. They’re  _ **_not.’)_ **

She wonders if it’s a little ingenious… letting him be the one to tell her that. Isn’t this the kind of thing he wanted to avoid in the first place? All the same… she resolves herself to try and think it on her own, even if she needs to hear it out of another person’s mouth at first.

...Even if she feels tired to the bone right now.

“And after this conversation, I’ll do my best to be more open about all of this,” Korosensei says. “I apologize for not breaching the topic earlier. I’m aware many things have… changed about you, but avoiding that is going to fix none of it. We need to begin to find ways to adapt.” A pause. “We need to begin to find ways to find light in this darkness.”

“No,” Aguri says. “It’s okay. I get it. I probably wouldn’t have wanted to breach the topic either.” She gives a frown. “It probably hurt you a lot to think about what happened in there. And it’s not like there are many good conversation openers for that sort of thing.”

She’s quiet for a moment.

“I mean… what do you even say? ‘I’ve noticed the way you carry yourself is different now and I’m scared you’re insecure or think you’re a monster?’  _ That’s  _ some way to open up to a girl who already tried to make out with you.”

“Well… no, that probably wouldn’t be the best way to go about it,” Korosensei admits. “But I could have started with a ‘you’re not’ and a ‘don’t worry. I’ve felt the same way.’”

Aguri frowns. Brow furrowed, she asks. “...You have?”

“Of course I have,” Korosensei replies. “My body’s changed a lot, too. I try not to let it get to me, of course… but you can only imagine my surprise when you called me  _ cute!  _ Now  _ that  _ was unexpected. I am much more used to hearing ‘goofy’ and ‘a little bit frightening.’” He lets out a laugh-- shakes his head. “That’s very much intended, of course. I’d like not to appear human to the students. But all the same, it was a nice surprise.”

“You are,” Aguri says, voice surprisingly firm. “...You  _ are _ a human, and you’re cute, too.”

Korosensei’s quiet for a moment. Finally, cracking a grin, his face flushes pink, and he lets out another laugh. 

“Well,” he says. “I’m most flattered to hear that. And I must return the compliment. You are, too.”

Aguri opens her mouth to speak, but Korosensei beats her to it. 

“And yes,” he says. “I mean that. So there’s no need to ask.”

Aguri relaxes slightly, nodding. “Alright,” she says. “...Got it.”

She stands there in Korosensei’s embrace-- treasuring it. She’s got a feeling that nothing like this will be happening again in the future, but… that’s okay. At least she can have it for now.

“Though… I do have a question, actually,” Korosensei admits. “About your body. And. Erm-- how cute you’ve gotten.”

Aguri frowns. Tilting her head, she asks “What is it?”

Some part of her is anxious… but Korosensei doesn’t  _ sound  _ malicious. Instead, intertwining his fingers with hers, there’s a kindness when he speaks.

“Just how much of that time did you spend thinking of me?”

“...Pardon?”

“In the lab. When you were trapped there. Just how much thought did you dedicate to me?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well…-- and I apologize if this is intrusive, but I just couldn’t help but notice that you almost resemble how I did back then. When I broke out. Do you think that you took inspiration from me? Consciously or unconsciously?”

“Oh,” Aguri says, gaze drifting down to her hands. “I hardly know. I  _ did  _ spend a lot of time thinking about you… enough to formulate a dream life, but I don’t know if that has anything to do with this. You were in there for longer. Maybe the mutations just manifested differently.”

“Perhaps,” Korosensei replies. “But all the same… I do think that that’s something worth dwelling on.”

“What? That I copied you?”

“No,  _ not that you copied me,”  _ Korosensei replies. “What you thought of me back then. When I was breaking out of the laboratory. You didn’t think I looked like someone scary, did you?”

“Someone scary?” Aguri asks. “...No, of course not. You just looked like… like-”

She starts to drift off. Eyes locked on the back of her hands she finds the resemblance uncanny. Gnarled fingers and bursting veins… they suddenly make sense. And it’s almost like she can look at them without flinching.

“Like?” Korosensei asks.

“...Like someone who needed help. That’s all.”

Of course… the  _ things  _ Korosensei did were scary, but she was never scared of  **_him,_ ** and especially not of the way he looked. She’d just wanted him to stop hurting people. And she’d just wanted him to stop hurting himself. He’d seemed like he was suffering so much.

“Exactly. And there’s nothing wrong with needing help, now is there? Remember that next time you look in the mirror and start to feel bad.  **_There is nothing wrong with not being better yet._ ** That is a fact that  _ you  _ taught me. Just give yourself time. I promise that things will work out.”

“And... for the record,” he continues. “Try not to get too embarrassed by taking some inspiration from me. I took some inspiration from you, too.” He turns… gives a knowing smile. “Yellow was never my favorite color before, after all.” 

At first, Aguri doesn’t get it. Yellow’s not her favorite color either, is it? And so… what is Korosensei talking about, then?

And all at once, it hits her.

Her reflection-- she can catch it in the shine of his eyes. And there, in the sunset, she makes out her own golden gaze. She freezes… takes a step back.

And so that… that’s why--

(Suddenly she’s blinking back tears.)

_ It’s really nice to think that she hasn’t been forgotten about, either. _

Some part of her is tempted to throw herself onto Korosensei. Overwhelmed by the sheer feeling of love she takes a breath so deep it makes her whole body shake. Just barely, she holds herself back. Wipes the tears from her eyes and whispers "Thank you. _ Thank you so much." _

She knows why this means so much to her... that not being forgotten about. All she’s wanted all her life is just to be cared about. But what’s important to remember is that she  _ is  _ cared about, and regardless of where their relationship stands, that is  _ never  _ going to stop being true. It’s written into their  _ flesh. _

As such, she doesn’t leap. She doesn’t even reach out to grip Korosensei’s hand. Instead, utterly still, she basks in the sunlight… and treasures the simple warmth of being held once again.

“I’m… sorry for springing all of this on you,” she says. “I know it must have been a lot to take in, and it  _ really  _ wasn’t my place… but I just got so  _ worried.  _ I’m sorry that I was jealous. It was wrong of me to try and monitor your relationships… especially when we’re not even  _ dating.”  _

“No. No. It’s alright,” Korosensei says. “I get it. I really do.” A pause. “...Yanagisawa cheated on you a lot, didn’t he? Of course it stung when you saw me pursuing people… regardless of the actual context of our relationship. We almost had something.”

‘...Almost.’ There it is. That word. Somehow it doesn’t sting as much as she expected it to, though. Being held by Korosensei she feels something that she knows she wasn’t jealous of… something that she’s  _ sure  _ Irina never got from Korosensei, and that no-one else ever has: a sense of true, unconditional love. That’s theirs and theirs alone.

And that can make even ‘almost’ hurt a little bit less.

“Yeah,” she says, letting out a sigh. She gives a small smile. “We sure did.”

“And… for the record,” Korosensei says. “That’s not a 'no.' It’s just a ‘not yet.’”

“And so you mean there’s still a chance?”

“Perhaps,” Korosensei responds. “I’m not making any promises. I don’t want that to be what you hinge your future on, either. But… it’s a nice thought. And I  _ do _ have feelings for you. I’d just like to wait. Make sure that those feelings are genuine before we take them any further. It’d break my heart too if this thing fell through.” A pause. “I don’t want to be someone you love just because you feel like you have to."

“No…” Aguri replies. “You’d never be. If anything, I’m just worried about becoming that person to you.”

“No. No. Of course not,” Korosensei reassures. “Again: it’s not about a lack of things. It’s about… not wanting to take advantage of you. That, and not wanting to make you forget what you already have. You are so,  **_so_ ** loved, regardless of what you can get from me.”

And… Aguri knows that. She doesn’t like to  _ think  _ she’d forgotten about her sister and the students, but then again what does she know? He’s right in that she's been hinging a lot of her self-worth on him.

And besides, even if he doesn’t love her in _ that way-- _ can’t right now or whatever... she still feels loved by him plenty all the same.

“I’m sorry if it felt like I was trying to guilt you into a relationship,” she says. “I didn’t mean to cry in front of you like that. It just got to be too much.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Korosensei responds. “...I wouldn’t have pulled you aside like this if I didn’t want to have the conversation. And I know that that was not your intent. You’re just going through a lot right now… and I understand that some things can seem a lot more important than they really are.”

“Nevertheless,” he continues. “I will try to cut down on the… porn. I already intended to stop coming onto people, but I did not realize that that was hurting you too on top of that.”

“No,” Aguri says. “...You don’t have to do that. I get it. You’re a  _ person.  _ Of course you have needs. I’m not going to cut you off from that, especially considering we’re not even in a relationship. I don’t think it’ll hurt as much now that I understand the full context. If anything… I-- I think what I’d like most is just for you to say stuff like what you said earlier every once in a while.”

“Earlier?”

“All those nice things. About my personality-- the way I look. I know I shouldn’t be depending on it, and I’ll try not to, but that  _ really  _ meant a lot to hear. It’d make my day if you could remind me of that stuff every once in a while.” A pause. “...I don’t want to forget.”

Korosensei’s quiet for a moment. Squeezing her hand with one tentacle and readjusting his tie with the other, he says “...I believe that I can do that. However, Aguri: I’d like you to do the same.”

Aguri blinks, dumbfounded.

_ “Compliment you?” _

“Compliment yourself,” Korosensei clarifies. “As… sweet as it was being called ‘cute,’” he muses, face going a pale pink “I believe that you don’t say those sort of things about _ yourself  _ enough. Next time you feel bad about yourself… think that you’re insecure or selfish or ugly, I want you to refute that. Think something kind about yourself in retaliation, even if you don’t believe it at first.”

“Building up that kind of thinking can be hard…” he admits. “But I  _ promise  _ you it’ll be worthwhile. And all I can ask is for you to see yourself with kinder eyes.”

Aguri frowns. She knows that it shouldn’t feel like an overwhelming request… but it still makes her hands sweat. Thinking something kind? About  _ this?  _ Where is she even supposed to start?

All the same, though… she knows that  _ he  _ believes she can do it. And even if that’s not a lot, that’s somewhere to start with positive thinking at the very least.

_ (That’s somewhere to start with regards to seeing herself.) _

“...Yeah,” she says. “I’ll try.”

Korosensei gives a smile. Clutching her hand tight he says, “We’ll get through this together, I promise. I know things may seem overwhelming right now, but… just give yourself some time. And if you’d like another reminder, then here it is again: I am  **_happy_ ** that you are alive, and I never once moved past your loss. You are beautiful inside and out… and I just want to see you do well.”

“You’re kind, sweet, smart… and you are  **_so_ ** goddamn strong. Your hands are gentle. Your eyes are kind. Your tentacles are adorable, and of course…” A long pause. He gives a shit-eating grin. “ _ Thereareafewotherthingsworthcommentingontoo.” _

Aguri blinks. At first, she doesn’t really get it. But as her gaze drifts downwards and Korosensei’s does too she lets out a small-- mortified sort of gasp. Stumbling backwards, she covers her chest with her arms and sputters.

“You can’t--  **_you can’t seriously mean-- my… my... my-- OH MY!”_ **

Her face flushes bright red. She hadn’t really been thinking about it earlier… but  **_there’s_ ** the Korosensei that the students and Irina had been talking about. So much for being a gentleman! Degenerate is right! And towards  _ her  _ of all people!

In any other scenario the playful -- okay, no,  _ just outright -- _ misogyny would probably make her uncomfortable… but in this situation, she just laughs. She can’t help it. Disgusting as it is, somehow she’s just relieved to be perceived that way, too.

“You didn’t mention that one earlier!” she snickers, covering her face with her hands. “What is  **_wrong_ ** with you!?”

**_“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”_ ** Korosensei cries, hurrying to her side. “You know I didn’t mean it in that way! I simply thought it would be reassuring to… to--  **_I respect women, I swear!_ ** The only reason I didn’t mention it earlier is that I felt it’d be inappropriate!”

“It’s _ still  _ inappropriate, weirdo!” Aguri replies, barely able to suppress a grin. “Did no-one ever teach you any manners?”

Korosensei looks like he feels legitimately bad for a second... but just as soon as he realizes she’s laughing that shame dies down. His face remains a bright pink, of course, but it’s much more out of embarrassment than any sort of guilt.

“I’m afraid not,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “Nevertheless, I’m glad I was able to make you laugh… even with my boorishness.” He pauses… gives a grin. “It’s been far too long since I’ve gotten to hear the sound of that.”

She can tell he’s redirecting. It’s the only thing he  _ can  _ do in a scenario like this. But nevertheless, Aguri cracks her own grin in response, and before she even knows what she’s doing she’s buried her face in his shoulder… wrapped him in a hug.

Korosensei tenses slightly-- startled… but soon relaxes. His hands hover up to her back.

“...I'm sorry,” she says. “I know you want to take things slow. I just… really wanted to thank you.”

“For what?” Korosensei asks. “That was most inappropriate…”

“For caring about making me laugh. For seeing me like you see everyone else.”

“Oh Aguri…” Korosensei says. “I see you as even more than everyone else. It’s okay just this once.”

She’s not sure how long they stand there hugging each other. She just knows that she’s the first to pull away. When she finally steps back Korosensei admits that it’s probably time they get going home. It’s almost dark out. Is that all she wanted to talk about? Or was there something more?

“...That’s all,” she says. “At least, I think.”

“Very well then. And remember: if anything comes up in the future, you know that we can always talk again like this. As many times as you need to.”

“Yeah,” she says. “I know.”

When they get back home Korosensei ducks out to make dinner. Akari shoots Aguri an incredulous look, asking what they talked about.

“That wasn’t just a walk, was it? You look like you’ve been crying.”

“Yeah,” Aguri admits. “But not the bad sort of cry. We just… discussed some stuff we’d been avoiding.”

“He better not have hurt your feelings,” Akari warns. “He’s acting like he’s in the doghouse. Don’t tell me he said something rude.”

“No. Not at all,” Aguri reassures. “He’s not in trouble. I think that… he just wants to do something sweet.”

Akari looks like she doubts that for a minute, but when she catches Aguri’s cheeks flush red she gives a satisfied grin and leans back. “Alright,” she says, nodding. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Aguri’s… thankful that she’s getting a break for once. As touching as it is to see her sister work so hard for her, she doesn’t want to see her burn out, either. She hopes that  _ she’ll _ be able to pick up chores like this again soon. But until then she knows that Korosensei will carry some of the weight.

(‘Remember,’ he says. ‘Just take your time.’)

Ultimately he makes rice and fish. They eat in relative silence, but it’s not the bad sort. Some of the tension has faded between the three of them. Akari’s not leaping down Korosensei’s throat anymore… and while what Aguri and Korosensei have isn’t the same, it’s something closer to before. There’s no more time to pretend.

After dinner, he takes her over to her room. Aguri hugs Akari goodnight and tells her to get some rest. Then, hand in hand with Korosensei, she goes to get some rest herself. It’s still early, but she feels  _ exhausted. _

On the bed he has another surprise waiting for her. There’s a pile of her shirts, all fixed up good as new.

“I had some extra time while making dinner,” he admits, sort of sheepish. “I’d figured I’d get to work on reshaping them. I’m almost done.”

Quietly, Aguri picks up a shirt. Looking at it cautiously… she takes the design in. 

It’s still as silly as the rest of them. “I Marinate Clowns,” it says, emblazoned with a picture of a possum. She gives a snort, unimpressed, almost… as she rolls her eyes.

Despite herself... her mind wanders back. And she’s wearing a shirt just like this in the lab. Yanagisawa isn’t insulting her this time. Reaper’s gawking at her. And in his own way, he’s insulting her, too.

“What is  _ that!?”  _ he demands, utterly dumbstruck.

“My T-shirt! And it’s fashionable!” Aguri responds, giving a gasp. “Don’t tell me you don’t like it!”

Reaper gives a frown… tilting his head. His lip twitches slightly, but all the same, she hears him let out a deep chuckle, and ultimately he simply nods.

“Very well then,” he says, never once letting go of the glimmer in his eyes. “I think I understand now.”

(She’s capable of making  _ him  _ laugh, too.)

Korosensei watches her… steepling his fingers as he takes a step closer.

“What do you think?” he asks. “Do you like it?”

Aguri pulls the shirt in close to her chest… buries her face in it. Smiling, slightly, she says “...I love it.”

“Good,” Korosensei responds. “You almost had me worried there for a moment. Want to try it on?”

Aguri nods. Korosensei looks away as she gets dressed. Turning back and covering his face with his hands, he tells her to just let him know when she’s done. Finally, she manages to tug the shirt on over her head… and he turns back around to face her.

“Looking good,” he says, face still bright yellow. “I’m glad I was able to cheer you up.”

And for a second… she is. But as Aguri’s gaze drifts back over to the mirror some of that confidence fades.

There it is again… that voice. She can hear Yanagisawa calling her terrible-- ugly. 

(“You’ll never be what you were back then.”)

‘No,’ she thinks, eyes narrowing slightly. ‘Anything but this. Please not now.’

(The voice doesn’t fade.)

And when she returns to Korosensei’s side, she asks him something that she knows she probably shouldn't.

“...Do you think that… we’ll ever go back to normal?”

“Back to normal?” Korosensei asks, voice quiet.

“Yeah,” Aguri says. “Like we were before.”

She… sincerely doubts it. From the way that Korosensei talked about it it sounds like what happened to them was permanent. But all the same… she feels like she’d be letting Yanagisawa win--  _ utterly humiliated  _ if all of her life became normalized around becoming  _ this.  _ This can’t just be her future, can it?

“Well…” Korosensei says. “I’m not quite sure. It’s too early to give any concrete answers on that sort of thing. I still need to look into it more. Why? Is it bothering you?”

Aguri gives a shrug. She doesn’t want to say yes, but she has a feeling that he knows anyways.

He steps in closer… places a hand on her shoulder. 

“Well, as I told Akari, I’ll do everything in my power to help out. I can’t make any promises, but...” a pause. “I’ll do whatever I can.”

It’s not a ‘yes,’ either. It’s something closer to an uncertain ‘no.’ But of course he doesn’t say  _ that.  _ Instead… simply standing by her quietly, he shakes his head.

Aguri frowns.

“You… said you weren’t done yet, right? Can you leave one normal? Just in case?”

It takes Korosensei a minute to process what she’s talking about. Eyes flickering down towards the shirts he asks “You mean these?”

“Yeah,” Aguri says. “...I appreciate the surprise. I really do. But I also need something to aim for, you know?” A pause. “...I don’t want to give in just yet.”

“Alright,” Korosensei says, meandering over to the drawer. He plucks a shirt out… places it to the side. “One left normal. Just in case.”

It’s funny. Despite his smile, he somehow looks downtrodden. Aguri hopes that she hadn’t hurt his feelings. It’s not that she  _ wanted  _ his talk not to help. It’s just these things… these things…-

They take time, right?

Korosensei doesn’t tell her that they do. At least not vocally. But when he turns back towards her his expression softens slightly. And he seems to say that baby steps are alright.

The two of them get into bed. And as the wind outside blows gently… as they lie in bed not together, but close all the same… Aguri stares at her reflection in the window.

For just a split second her face flushes blue. Her cheeks… tentacles… overtaken by the sorrowful hue. And she feels bad for herself. But staring out that window and looking into her own golden eyes she remembers what it is that Korosensei said about the way she expresses herself sometime earlier today.

‘It’s… cute.’

She can’t believe that she almost forgot. She was supposed to compliment herself when she felt this way. And as such, she repeats that again and again.

‘He thinks it’s cute, at the very least.’

And her face flushes pink… a bright yellow. 

Ultimately, she drifts off to sleep. And snoring gently, she lets the smell of the shirt hang in the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww. A sweet note to end the chapter on. BITTERsweet, but sweet enough. And that's what Aguri needs.
> 
> This was a pretty hard chapter to write, but I hope it turned out well. I had a fun time writing about their relationship drama, even if it also hurt my heart. I think my two favorite bits were Korosensei talking about how much Aguri changed his life and the two of them realizing their physical forms took inspiration from each other. It was VERY cute.
> 
> I hope this chapter clears up any additional doubt that Aguri isn't willing to respect Korosensei's feelings. She very much is. And she's not /trying/ to be possessive or jealous. She just had deep issues... and now that she understands his reasoning better she is NOT going to push. She's got the answers she needed.
> 
> Which means, yes... I'm sorry. Still no Koroagu (For now.) Haha. I know: I want it as bad as you do. But they're both deeply damaged people. And so let's savor the slowburn. Thankfully it seems Aguri is finally alright with some slowburn, too. She knows she doesn't have to rush things.
> 
> Next chapter will feature a nice long talk with Irina, a further look into Aguri's life, and an attempt at something brand new. It'll be up two weeks from now. So look forward to that!
> 
> Some songs that helped me write THIS chapter were Like Real People Do by Hozier, It's Quiet Uptown from Hamilton, Ugly by Nicolle Dollanger, Drive Slow by ADDIE, All About Your Heart by Mindy Gledhill, Time Adventure from Adventure Time, and Obvious from Dear Evan Hansen. The last is my personal favorite.
> 
> "When you get bored you draw stars  
> On the cuffs of your jeans  
> You still fill out the quizzes you find  
> In those teen magazines  
> And you dance like nobody's there  
> Awkward and perfect  
> You don't even care  
> Something courageous, amazing, contagious  
> And kind  
> All combined
> 
> Why go stating the obvious?  
> It's so painfully obvious  
> How could you miss  
> Something that's this plain to see?  
> When it's glaring, and staring  
> Right at you  
> So obviously
> 
> Sometimes the words  
> We tend to withhold  
> But they're exactly the words  
> Someone needs to be told  
> But oh, thinking they know  
> We never say 'I love you  
> I love you  
> I love you  
> I love you.'"
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoyed. Make sure to let me know what you thought and I'll see you soon! :D

**Author's Note:**

> ...I told you it was dark, didn't I? 😅 Don't say I didn't warn you.
> 
> And this was just the first chapter!
> 
> WHEW. [Wipes some sweat from my brow] Let's all cool down a bit after that, huh? Take a deep breath. I hope that wasn't TOO heavy for anyone. It was fucked up, but so is the whole premise of this fic. I promise, again, that things will get better eventually. But that day is NOT today.
> 
> As previously mentioned in the beginning authors' notes, the first five chapters will revolve around Aguri's mutations and her time in the lab. After that first hurdle things shouldn't hurt as much. And I hope none of you are staring at me too weirdly for writing this. I'm not writing her suffering for fun, but rather because I want to emphasize just how bad what she's going through is... so her trauma from it later has more of an impact, and ultimately her escaping will feel all the more cathartic. That said, again: No judgement if you want to skip to AFTER this bit. The fic gets a lot less triggering from there.
> 
> This chapter is pretty much just the intro... so I don't have a TON to say, but I hope ya'll all liked it! It's setting up a lot of stuff for later, so look forward to that.
> 
> Next chapter will be up next Wednesday, so on the 28th. I'm gonna be trying to get these first few chapters out rather fast so people don't get angst-burnout. Expect a quick update schedule early on that peters out a little as things calm down.
> 
> Some songs that helped me write this first chapter were Bruno Is Orange by Hop Along, Our Love Is God from Heathers, You're One Of Them Aren't You by The Paper Chase, Zydrate Anatomy from Repo, and Body by Mother Mother.
> 
> As always I hope you enjoyed(?) Make sure to let me know what you thought and I hope I haven't scared too many of you off. See you soon!


End file.
